Angela Nwaeze Mbaocha
Members of Ebonyi state executive council, has linked the recent invasion of Governor Umahi’s Abuja residence to ban on herders from moving around with AK-47 and machetes in the south east zone.
It would be recalled that the South East Governors’ Forum met on August 31, at Enugu where they banned Fulani herdsmen from moving around with AK-47 and machetes.
After announcing their decision on Saturday, the Abuja residence of the Chairman of the forum, Governor Umahi was invaded on September 2.
In a communique issued on September 5, and signed by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Cletus Ofoke and Dr. Kenneth Ugbala , Secretary to State Government and Coordinating commissioner, Ebonyi state, they condenmed the invasion.
Stating, ” We condenm in strong terms the senseless invasion of the Abuja residence of our leader and Governor, His Excellence, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum in the early hours of Monday, September 2, 2019.
” We view this strange and cowardly act coming barely 24 hours after the South East Governors’ Forum banned herders from moving around with AK-47 and machetes, as barbaric, unwanted and undemocratic, they stated”
They also urged the security agencies to swing into action and fish out the perpetrators, while calling on Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Adamu, and other security agencies to immediately commence full scale investigation into the incident, and to come up with a position paper as regards the safety of Governor Umahi in Abuja and any parts of the world.
They alleged that the security men who invaded the house, had the intention of planting incriminating evidence in the said property towards framing trumped-up charges against Umahi.
The exco members further maintained that the plot was to intimidate an silence governor Umahi and his colleagues at the South East Governors’ Forum and to stop them from discharging their mandate of speaking boldly on behalf of the zone, especially as it concerns security in the area.
They also petitioned President Buhari to order a full scale investigation into the invasion by security operatives with a view to ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to book.
” We hereby alert the international community of the obvious attempt to circumvent the Rule of Law and freedom of expression in Nigeria as exemplified by the actions of the security operatives on a sitting governor who enjoys immunity.
”We urge the Nigerian Police to always have recourse to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other laws in carrying out their operations and not to undermine the provisions of the constitution which are sacrosanct, unambiguous and supreme.
“We therefore urge our Governor not to be deterred by the antics of the Nigerian Police who merely played out the script of their sponsors and cohort; but to go ahead in discharging his constitutional duties especially that of protecting the lives and properties of our people” the communique reads.
