February 14, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, on Tuesday, disbanded the South-East security outfit, Ebubeagu, in Ebonyi State.
According to the court, the disbandment follows human rights abuses, extortions, illegal arrests and use of firearms by the State Security outfit.
The regional security network was established on 12th April, 2021, to support policing in the South east.
Recently, there have been widespread misgivings about their operations, particularly in Ebonyi and Imo States, the operatives have allegedly been used to harass perceived enemies of the State Governments.
Their operations have been trailed by reports of rights abuses, torture and extra-judicial killings.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural In the Diaspora (AEISCID), charged the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in the State, Faleye Olaleye, to disband the State security network.
In a statement signed by the group’s President General, Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, said, “The outfit which has arguably untrained young men and women armed with all sorts of dangerous weapons and ammunitions including some pump action rifles, AK-47 (which they operate with both in hiding and sometimes openly) has since become a nightmare to the innocent citizens of our dear state.
“There have been a legion of cases of outright murder and secret burial of anyone suspected to be against the state government, abduction and torture of critics and opposition elements in the state and outright enforcement of illegal orders, stopping opposition political parties from holding any form of political rallies across the length and breadth of Ebonyi state.
“As we speak, the PDP and APGA Governorship candidates, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii and Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh, both escaped assassination attempts on their lives penultimate weekend, allegedly by the same government-sponsored Ebubeagu militia.
“This will be the sixth time in less than four months that an attempt will be made to take the life of the latter, Odoh, allegedly by agents of the Ebonyi State government just for aspiring to govern his state.
“Whereas Ebonyi people seem to have a huge sigh of relief following the removal of the former CP, Aliyu Garba, who became a willing tool in the hands of an insipidly desperate and power-drunk Governor Umahi, the rage of many Ebonyians is the fact that the outgoing and infamous CP Aliyu Garba used to give a backup protection to Ebubeagu militia for some pittance whenever they are carrying out their illicit and illegal actions, as against the standard practice of policing the world over which specifies dealing ruthlessly with criminal elements no matter who may be backing or sponsoring them.”
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