ESONA sounds alarm on rising insecurity in Anambra State

Stanley Ihedigbo

Elders and Stakeholders of Non-Indigenes of Anàmbra State (ESONA) have raised alarm over the continued insecurity in Anambra State.

The group which spoke through their leadership, Alhaji Abubakar Sani, Chairman, and Chief Adebayo Adewusi, Secretary respectively, asked the Governor to declare a state of emergency in at least 15 out of 21 Local Government Areas in Anambra State, lamenting that even Onitsha which hitherto was believed to be safe has come under the attack of kidnappers and other criminals.

They said the criminals in the State have no respect for any individual, lamenting that for almost one week now, the retired Anglican Archbishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Godwin Okpala, was abducted at Ezinifite in Aguata Local Government Area of the State they have kept him in their den allegedly at Umunze /Ogbunka areas

The group mentioned Ogbunka, Umunze, Ajali, and other communities of Orumba North Local Government Area as no-go areas in the State that should be included in the State of emergency.

Ezinifite, Uga. Umuchu and other communities in Aguata Local Government Area of the State, they said, should also be among those which the State Government should declare a State of Emergency.

In Ogbaru Local Government Area said the group has been declaring safe havens for the kidnappers with towns like Ogbe-Ukwu near Iyiowa, Okoti; Ugwu-Aniocha, Ossomalla, Atani, and other communities under their control.

In the Ihiala Local Government Area, towns like Mbosi, Azia, Uli, Amorka, and some parts of Okija are seriously under the control of the kidnappers.

Other Local Government Areas where a State of Emergency should be declared, according to the group, include Nnewi South, where communities like Ukpor and Osumenyi, among others, have come under the attack of kidnappers and criminals.

Achalla, Mgbakwu and other communities of Awka North are not left out as they are prone to these bad criminals, just as Awka South communities are not equally safe.

Other areas are Nsugbe, Nkwelle, and other communities in Oyi Local Government Area.

Fegge in Onitsha South and Odoakpu are not left out.

Communities in Idemili North and South Local Government Areas are also prone to attack by these hoodlums. They are Abatete,Nkpor, Ogidi, Obosi, Oba, Ojoto and others.

Also not left out are communities in Ekwusigo Local Government Areas like Ozubulu and Oraifite, among others.

The group, however, said that the most fragile Local Governments in the state are communities in Orumba South, Ogbaru, Onitsha South, Ihiala, Oyi, and Awka South Local Government Areas.

They said the way out of this security logjam is to create a joint operations team made up of the personnel of the Armed Forces, Police, Civil Defence, members of Anambra Vigilant Group (AVG), and Department of State Security (DSS) operatives in these Local Governments.

Each of them, ESONA said, should contribute 50 men bringing the total number to about 250.

“They can chase these criminals bomber to bomber and rout them out of the State,” said the group, but stated that the State Government should adequately equip them and provide them with incentives such as insurance and logistics.

“If the Governor wants Anambra people to come down here and enjoy this Yuletide, he should do something drastic and urgent, now,” said the Elders and Stakeholders group.