The Governor of Ebonyi, David Umahi has clarified that IPOB members are not responsible for most attacks in his state.
IPOB
Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are not responsible for most of the attacks in Ebonyi state.
The clarification was made by Governor David Umahi on Wednesday April 28.
Umahi said this while addressing newsmen after a security council meeting held in Abakiliki. The Governor who alleged that hoodlums hide under the umbrella of IPOB to carry out their evil attacks, backed this up with a recent attack of a bank in Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.
The Ebonyi state Governor said;
“We are aware that there are some killings over the weekend; a policeman was killed, two army men were killed and I think one civilian and their killers are pure bandits.
“They do these killings and put it in social media that they are members of IPOB or ESN.
“Without standing for either IPOB or ESN, but they continue to deny that they are not into violence but for me, criminality is criminality and I have directed security agencies to crack down on all criminal activities in the state.
“And for those who did the killings, the security agencies must bring them to book within 72 hours, they must do that."
The Governor also imposed curfew in the border axis of the state which he said would start on Wednesday from 8 pm to 6 am. He further directed natives doctors and traditional medicine dealers within seven days to register with the state government or face prosecution.
Umahi said the Commissioner in charge of Border Peace and Internal Security, the Commissioner for health and the state Commissioner of Police would be empowered with an executive order to arrest and prosecute any offender.
He added;
“We have agreed that all native doctors in the state and traditional medicine dealers must within seven days today register with the Commissioner for Border Peace, with the Commissioner for health and with the CP.
“There will be an executive order to this effect and anyone that is caught doing otherwise will be arrested and will be prosecuted."
Decrying an alleged increase in fake news in the state, Umahi stated that his administration would henceforth track down those behind such information and prosecute them.
He said;
“We agreed that there is rampant fake news in Ebonyi State.
“Like today, somebody posted that herdsmen are in Ebonyi and they are killing people and schools started closing down, students and pupils started running helter-skelter. Is that what we will continue to tolerate?
“And so, I have directed whether you are in opposition, whether you are in agreement, whatever thing you are, you should be tracked down so that you should be going to court to prove whatever thing you are putting."