The House of Representatives, yesterday, demanded an urgent investigation of the invasion of five communities in Ahiazu Mbaise Council of Imo State by gunmen suspected to be security officers.
Adopting a motion sponsored by Emeka Chinedu at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, the House directed the Chief of Army Staff, General Faruk Yahaya and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman Baba to ensure a thorough investigation of the incident.
The House also enjoined them to unravel the cause of the invasion that commenced in the early hours of Saturday, February 12, 2022, with a view to revealing the identity of those who perpetrated the act.
The security chiefs are to unearth the number of life and property destroyed, their offences, and why communities that are not at war must be razed without recourse to the excruciating effect of rendering the innocent homeless as well depriving the living their breadwinners.
The lawmakers thereby mandated the House committees on Police Affairs and the committee on Army to ensure compliance.
Chinedu (PDP: Imo) while moving the motion cited Ihitte-Afoukwu, Umu-Okirika, Oparanadim, Mpam and Ogbor-Umeze in Ahiazu Council, as communities that were invaded by gunmen.
Chinedu cautioned against further delay in investigating the incident as it was capable of not only sending negative signals but also counterproductive in the long run, especially as law enforcement agents could not to act lawlessly, waste lives or plunder property of the people they were supposed to protect.
MEANWHILE, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has accused operatives of the ethnic vigilance group, Ebubeagu, of killing some persons in the communities in Orlu of Imo State.
In a statement issued by the President General of COSYL, Goodluck Ibem, the group described the act as “wicked, barbaric and despicable,” saying: “We condemn the extrajudicial killings of Igbo youths by operatives of Ebubeagu security operative in Umutanze, Osu, Nnembi and Atta communities in Orlu zone of Imo State.”
It argued that the courts remain the only legal arbiters of suspected cases of such magnitude and not extra-judicial killings: adding: “If anyone is arrested over suspected crime, they should be taken to court for trial. It is unlawful and criminal to torture, maim or kill anyone over alleged criminal activity.”
