Following an unconfirmed report that Fulani militias might attack South-East states, a faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, called on governors in the region not to allow the killings happening in Benue State to happen in South-East, noting that the people will not forgive them if such attacks occur.
In a statement in Abakaliki, the factional National Deputy President of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that it would be an embarrassment if such killings occurred after the threat, urging the governors to set up armed vigilante groups across the 95 local councils across the zone.
He alleged that credible reports indicate that these armed groups have successfully infiltrated the Southeast in significant numbers and have placed Igbo communities under potential siege noting that setting up of vigilante groups will checkmate any of their moves.
He further stated that it is paramount that South-East governors take immediate and effective measures to thwart potential attacks against the Igbo populace in the weeks ahead, warning that the killings in Benue State should be prevented in the zone.
The statement reads: “Residents of Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi states have expressed profound concern over the increasing, clandestine nighttime movements of these militants crossing into our territory from Benue and Kogi states, unchecked and unchallenged.
“The current climate is one of acute peril, and the time for complacency has since passed. South-East governors must awaken from their slumber and cease their negligence.
“The unsettling reality we face reinforces our fears: the South-East is on the brink of becoming a target for grave terrorist atrocities. This pattern of invasion must be addressed with the utmost urgency.
“If the governments at all levels continue to ignore these threats and maintain their conspiracies of silence, they will bear the consequences of the ensuing violence. Those in power must grasp the stark truth; we cannot afford to rely on ineffective security measures any longer.
