August 28, (THEWILL) – Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on Internal Security, Chief Cletus Ike, has warned stakeholders of Ivo Local Government Area of the State against politicising the security situation in the Council.
Speaking in an interview during the election of Amaze community in Ivo Local Government Area of the State, Chief Ike, who disclosed that a series of meetings have been summoned involving security agents, reiterated to Ivo stakeholders to remove politics from Ivo security.
According to him, the vigilante is working in collaboration with the police at checkpoints to assist the police in getting first-hand information.
He said, “In respect of security as of yesterday, I hosted all the vigilantes in the Local Government Area. The meeting was attended by the DSS, Police, Civil Defence, Immigration and all other security outfits.
“After yesterday’s meeting, I have seen a lot of things and things have started changing. I have already set up a powerful committee to make sure that the security apparatus of Ishiagu is not having any challenges. We are ready to maintain that. By tomorrow, we are going to have another meeting in Ivo Local Government Area. As from Monday, most of the places we need to mount checkpoints, we will do that.
“The soldiers have been asked to release those vigilantes. The office of the Governor has directed the police and DSS to secure their release and to investigate whether they are security vigilantes or not. The relevant agents should investigate very well. We do not know anything about IPOB members because most times, they may tag it any name. We are having serious security challenges in Ivo Local Government Area.
“We do not want any politics in the security architecture of Ivo Local Government Area. I am appealing to other Ivo stakeholders to remove anything politics from Ivo security. Everybody is paying the supreme price of security. We do not need any politics. And they have directed that the vigilante arrested should be investigated.
“We have concluded that arrangements with the Police Command. We are going to have a joint security team. Every checkpoint in Ishiagu must have a police officer attached to it. Why they have to work with them is that they are the ones who know the terrain of the village. With them, we can get first-hand information.
“Some of them are herdsmen. They also collaborate with indigenes because they cannot come here and operate. But we are trying to set up a very powerful information-gathering gadget that can detect where they are coming from. By doing so, in the next two weeks, all these things will be a thing of the past.
“I do not have a problem with the chairman. What I have insisted on is what we should do overall. Let us reorganise and overhaul the security apparatus. I am not having any problem, but it is for us to work hand in hand. Things were not going well and I must complain and with my complaint, everybody is sitting very well,” he stated.
It would be recalled that On Tuesday, August 15, 2022, suspected gunmen abducted a man, his wife, daughter and one other person identified as a farmer along the Mile 2 axis of Ishiagu/Okigwe Express road, Ebonyi State.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
