By CHINONSO ALOZIE, Owerri

The Igbo National Council, INC, on Tuesday, handed down a 90-day ultimatum to the governors of the five states of the South-East zone, to establish a regional security outfit just like the Northern and South-West regions did.

The warning came from the statement issued in Owerri, by the INC, National President, Chilos Godsent, alongside other executives after their meeting.

According to them, failure to do so that their people would be encouraged to protect themselves from the killings by suspected armed herdsmen said to have camped themselves in the forest of the zone.

He said: “We wish to inform the people of the Igbo Race that the proposed community policing by the IGP is meant to officially aid the framework for intelligence gathering and invasion of Igbo communities by the Jihadist.

“On the foregoing, the Igbo National Council (INC) request the Governors of the South-East, South-South and North-Central geopolitical zones respectively as a matter of urgent necessity to establish and officially inaugurate their regional security outfits like the South-West (AMOTEKUN) and North-West (SEGE KA FASA) within ninety days from 29th February 2020 as a sign of patriotism and commitment to the security and welfare of their citizens.

“We note that failure for the Governors of the aforementioned geopolitical zones to adhere to this call, the Self-Determination groups in those geopolitical zones may be compelled to take their destiny into their own hands in other to protect their citizens from the rampaging Fulani Jihadist.

“The meeting supports in its totality the call by the National Assembly (NASS) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria urging President Mohammadu Buhari to sack all the Service Chiefs with immediate effect.

“The reality on the ground has clearly shown that the present crops of service chiefs can no longer protect the lives and properties of Nigerians who are daily slaughtered like cows and chickens by Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and Fulani Jihadists.”

They continued: “The meeting condemned the wanton arrest and arbitrary detention of the elders and people of Ifite-Ogwari community in Anyamelum Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State for the simple reason of defending their community from Fulani Herdsmen who have continued to attack and kill members of the Ifite-Ogwari community in their ancestral land.

“On the foregoing, INC urge the Government of Anambra State to rise up to the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people of Anambra State.

“The NWC meeting urged the Federal Government to be very sensitive of the untold hardship the people of Southern Nigeria are passing through because of the border closure. On the above, INC, therefore, requests the Federal Government to reopen the southern border or otherwise close the porous Northern borders where too many smuggling activities have been taking place since the politically motivated closure of the Southern borders.

“Finally, the Igbo National Council (INC) wish to advise the leadership of Miyetti Allah in Nigeria to urge her members who now camp in many forests in South-East and South-South geopolitical zone to immediately vacate those forests or regret their deviancy.” (Vanguard)

Update news