Following the incessant attacks and violent activities in some parts of Ebonyi State, Governor, David Umahi, has ordered security agencies in the state to shoot any person caught terrorising the state with illegal firearms.

Addressing victims of the pre-election violence in Agbaji in Izzi Local Government Area where two persons were said to have been killed and over 20 houses burnt, Governor Umahi also directed security agencies to be ruthless to perpetrators of violence in the state.

Umahi advised youths to organise themselves and protect their mothers and young ones to avoid further attacks in the state.

The governor condemned the violence in Izzi, urging the youths of the area to be more united to resist any attack and therefore charged them to deal mercilessly to anyone who terrorises the community.

He urged the state commissioner of Police to withdraw all illegal police attachment to any politician in the state, stressing that if the attack continues, he would order the youths to beat up any politician seen going about with security guards.

The governor blamed the leaders of Izzi as responsible for the violence in the community, warning also that if they don’t curb the incessant attack in the area, he would turn and set the youths against them and their homes.

“I am the Chief security officer of Ebonyi State. I want to order security agencies to shoot-at-sight any person bearing illegal firearms which he is using to attack Ebonyi people. I want the commissioner of Police to withdraw all illegal policemen attached to some politicians in the state. The leaders of Izzi clan are the ones causing the crisis. Youths of Izzi should unite and come together to protect their mothers, younger ones and themselves too.

“If you arrest any person with gun, break the person's hands, legs and tie him to the police station. I want the security agencies to be ruthless to any person who attacks innocent and law-abiding citizens in the state. If this violence and attack continue, I will order the arrest of all the leaders of Izzi no matter the person or his relationship with the president,” Umahi warned.

A stakeholder of the area and Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly who noted that the place is his constituency accused some members of the Peoples Democratic Party playing anti-party activities to be responsible for the attacks.

“Your Excellency, people say that I am stubborn and I want to agree that I am stubborn because I am performing. If I am not performing, nobody would have said I am stubborn. The crisis here was caused by PDP-APC. It was some members of PDP who are playing anti-party activities are responsible for the attacks. The perpetrators are not real APC members,” the Speaker said.

However, the state PDP chairman, Barrister Onyekachi Nwebonyi, raised the alarm of an alleged plot of the APC in the state to arrest PDP members ahead of the Saturday presidential election.

He alleged that the plot was being hatched by the APC Governorship candidate, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, to harass and intimidate members of the PDP in the state, warning that they would resist any form of intimidation and victimisation of their members.

He lamented that PDP members have been killed and many houses burnt in recent attacks in the state but however appealed for peace and calm, urging Ebonyi people to turn out and participate in the presidential election.

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