Nnamdi Kanu attacks southeast governors for not setting up regional security network

INDIGENOUS People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has joined the criticism of the five governors from across the southeast geo-political zone accusing them of betraying Ndigbo by not establishing a regional security network similar to Amotekun.

Over recent years, heavily-armed herdsmen have been running riot across Nigeria, engaging in kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry. To address the problem, the governors from across the southwest geo-political zone decided to launch a regional security outfit named Amotekun, which translates to leopard in the local Yoruba language.

Backing up their plans with an official launch in Ibadan, the six governors have supplied Operation Amotekun with vehicles and equipment. After several meetings with the inspector-general of police Mohammed Adamu, the six governors asked their houses of assemblies to pass laws legalising Amotekun and this has now been done making the outfit fully constitutional and legal.

After weeks of speculation and suspense, governors of the south-south geo-political zone finally agreed to establish a similar body to tackle peculiar challenges in the region. Following a recent meeting in Asaba, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. the chairman of the South-South Governors Forum, added that the governors have also agreed to resuscitate the Braced Commission, a regional economic and integration platform.

However, in the southeast geo-political zone, the five governors shelved plans to launch a similar network after holding a meeting with the inspector-general of police. After a meeting with the police boss Mohammed Adamu in Enugu last month, the governors said they would now adopt the federal government's  concept of community policing.

Castigating the governors for taking this stance, Mazi Kanu said the southeast governors should not rely on the federal government to protect the people of the southeast. Expressing dismay over the alleged letter by the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Chief Nnia Nwodo, to Mr Adamu on the recent public display of AK-47 assault rifles in Awka, Anambra State,   he noted that the letter had vindicated Ipob, which started raising the alarm of threats by the herders since 2012.

He said the letter by Chief Nwodo was a confirmation of what  his group has been fighting against since 2012 and they were called names and branded a terrorist organisation. Mazi Kanu also described the letter as laughable and one that will not yield any fruits because the inspector-general or any policeman will  never arrest or stop Fulani herdsmen  because power from above is backing them.

According to Mazi Kanu, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the southeast governors  gave the Fulani leaders and their boys the opportunity and power to threaten Igbos and Biafrans by betraying Ipob that could have stopped them. He alleged that Chief Nwodo's letter to Mr Adamu was crying over a spilt milk.

Mazi Kanu said: “This is what we have been fighting against since 2012 but Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the southeast governors called us miscreants that must be shot on sight. The same Anambra State where the army was ordered to shoot on sight any Ipob member, is where the Fulani boys are fearlessly displaying in broad daylight AK47s and the Ohaneze Ndigbo president, Chief Nnia Nwodo is writing letter to inspector general of police to take action.

“Why are he and the southeast governors complaining now? Have they just woken from their slumber, or are Fulani leaders and their herdsmen no more their friends. Why are they now justifying Ipob’s claim that the Fulani’s will come with AK47 for our people, or are Ipob members and Nnamdi Kanu no more miscreants, hoodlums and war mongers who should be shot on sight?"

He noted that the same way the Afonja betrayed Yoruba’s which led them to lose Ilorin is the same way Ohaneze Ndigbo and the southeast governors have betrayed Ipob members. he warned that Ohaneze Ndigbo and the Pan Niger Delta Forum will lose the southeast and south-south to Fulani people with their complacency over forming own security outfit like the Yorubas have recently done after learning their lessons in a hard way.