Save our land from insurgency, Igbo elders tell south-east governors

The United Igbo elders forum, an Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has called on south-east governors to come up with a collective approach to tackle insecurity in the zone.

The group said this on Friday during a meeting held in Awka, the Anambra capital.

In a statement signed by Alpha Ikpeama and Harford Ugwu, coordinator and secretary of the forum, respectively, the group blamed the “near lack of coordination” among the south-east governors for the insecurity in the zone.

According to the forum, the concept of community vigilance groups should be revived and reinvigorated in south-east states to complement the efforts of the federal government.

“We advocate for the effectuation of vigilance groups in all villages and communities in the south east,” the statement reads.

“This would help in the aspect of information and intelligence gathering and would also help in assisting the south east governors in the fight against insecurity.

“We also urge the governors in south east to work as a body and create the much needed unity, as chief security officers of the geopolitical zone, to save our land from the sustained insurgency in the area.”

The forum added that it had set up a seven-member committee, chaired by Okwesilieze Nwodo, a former governor of Enugu, to ensure the unification of the Igbo by working with the Ohaneze Ndigbo, in the fight against insecurity.

In 2021, the south-east governors set up Ebube-Agu, a joint security outfit, to tackle insecurity in the zone.

However, states across the south-east have continued to witness attacks by gunmen.