Umahi’s Govt: Deliberately sponsoring violence, intra-communual crisis in Ebonyi… PDP calls out
*Allege incessantl torturing of kidnapped political opponents at special detention centers
*Pocurement, distribution of pump action, other automatic weapons
The stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Ebonyi State Chapter have bewailed the state of insecurity in the state, ranging from violence intra- communal crisis as allegedly perpetrated by the APC government of Governor David Nweze Umahi.
Worried about the safety of the people of Ebonyi State, the aggrieved stakeholders lamented that violence against the Ebonyi people had remained the hallmark of the Umahi administration since its inception in the year 2015.
In a communique signed by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim in conjunction with 35 other stakeholders of PDP, the party regretted that Governor Umahi had mischievously accused Ebonyi PDP stakeholders of sponsoring
violence in the State, lamenting that “yet it is very clear to Ebonyi people that only the State Government possesses the capacity to unleash the mayhem and generalised insecurity that has bedeviled the State in recent times.”
Among the signatories to the said Communique were all the Senators and House of Representatives Members in the state.
The party, amidst broken make bold to state that decried the
procurement and distribution of pump action and other automatic weapons which according to them has become a policy backed by Executive action in Ebonyi State, saying, “we make bold to state that we have abundant pictorial and audio evidence.”
“With the creation of Ebubeagu Security outfit in the State, the possession and open display of firearms by street urchins has become a common place. What is most worrisome about the Ebonyi variant of Ebubeagu is that the recruitment, deployment and rules of engagement, including their command structure, is shrouded in secrecy. It is difficult, therefore, to hold them accountable for their crimes. However, what is more dangerous is the fact that since
they operate in mufti, it is difficult to separate their activities from that of unknown gunmen and other criminals.”
Below is the statement in detail:
POLITICAL INTOLERANCE, PROLIFERATION OF ARMS AND GENERAL
INSECURITY IN EBONYI STATE: A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.
On behalf of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), we wish to welcome
you to this press briefing.
As stakeholders in the project of building a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Ebonyi
State, we deem it necessary to seize any, and every opportunity, to draw attention to
issues that are presently bedeviling our dear state, and capable of adversely affecting the
well-being and future of our state.
We, therefore, consider it expedient to inform you that a couple of months ago, our
Governor, Engr. David Umahi personally delivered petitions against Ebonyi State PDP
stakeholders, to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director of State Security
Services (DSS), the Chief of Army staff (COAS), the National Security Adviser (NSA) and
the seat of our Federal Government (Villa). In this petition which was signed by the SSG
of the state, Governor Umahi falsely accused Ebonyi PDP stakeholders of sponsoring
cultists, ESN members, attacks on security Personnel in the State, arson on public
buildings etc. Although we recognize Governor Umahi’s penchant for mischief, yet we
deem it below the acceptable behaviour of a chief Executive of a State to be the
purveyor of wild and vile allegations against leaders of a political party who God used to
make him Governor in the first place. Never in the history of our dear State, not in any
other state in Nigeria, has a sitting Governor deemed it necessary to hand-deliver a
petition riddled with falsehood to heads of security agencies, against his own people. But
this is Ebonyi State for you today. It is this political intolerance and mindless desire to
suppress all dissenting opinions in the state which has resulted in proliferation of arms,
intra communal clashes and general insecurity in our dear Ebonyi State, that we wish to
address in this Press briefing.
GENESIS OF PDP STAKEHOLDERS PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNOR UMAHI
Perhaps it is worth reminding us that the genesis of Ebonyi PDP stakeholders problems
with Governor Umahi is the refusal of the Party to decamp with him to the APC.
Otherwise, we recall that before the Governor’s defection to the APC, the people
Governor Umahi are witch hunting today were recognised as the leaders of the state.
However, today our elder statesmen and leaders in the PDP in Ebonyi State have
suddenly been tagged “trouble makers”, sponsors of cultists and terrorists, etc. Thus,
Governor Umahi, who a month before he defected, publicly stated that anybody who
left PDP for the APC needed psychiatric evaluation, has himself defected to the APC, and
appears to be in dire need of psychiatric assistance in the management of a political
situation he created for himself
EBONYI STATE GOVERNMENT AS DELIBERATE SPONSOR OF VIOLENCE AND INTRA
COMMUNAL CRISIS
Although Governor Umahi mischievously accused Ebonyi PDP stakeholders of sponsoring
violence in the State, yet it is very clear to Ebonyi people that only the State Government
possesses the capacity to unleash the mayhem and generalised insecurity that has bedeviled the State in recent times. It is instructive to point out that since inception in 2015, violence against the Ebonyi people has remained the hallmark of the Umahi
administration. This started quite early with the creation of a so-called Ekubaraoha
Youth Assembly (EYA), which in a space of about six years has left an indelible footprint of blood, tears and sorrows in Ebonyi State.
In pursuit of the self-confessed “Koboko” policies of Governor Umahi, EYA has been credited with the following attacks on journalists and other Ebonyians, to wit:
(i) The May 28th, 2017 attack by EYA operatives at a book launch organised by a priest,
Rev. George Ume, at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki.
(ii) The May 30th, 2017 attack by EYA operatives at the defunct Diamond Bank
premises Abakaliki (now Access Bank). In the ensuing attack by EYA, a pregnant
female journalist was severely beaten up and her equipment confiscated for daring
to cover the assault on the bewildered customers of the bank.
(iii) The well documented abduction and torture of journalist Charles Otu at Vanco
Junction Abakaliki on the 2nd of June, 2017 by EYA operatives.
(iv) The June 2nd 2017 shooting of journalist Samuel Ovuoba, a publisher and journalist
at Ebonyi State University.
(v) The infamous March 18, 2018 abduction and attempted murder of social critic
Nwoba Chika Nwoba at his home in Abakaliki.
(vi) The more recent case of Prince Anyigor Methuselah who was abducted by agents
of the State Government and tortured for days in a government –run dungeon and many more
At this point, it is also important to point out that the Ebonyi State Government has
deliberately, for political gain, instigated crisis in many town union organisations across
the state. Town Union Presidents have been deposed by the State Government in
Unwana, Ishiagu, Ishielu etc. It is on record that the crises that ensued has claimed many
lives.
More recently, and with the creation of the Ebubeagu Security outfit, and the concomitant need to arm them with pump action guns and other automatic weapons,
occasional boundary disputes have now transmuted into very dangerous armed conflicts, often spearheaded by known agents of the Ebonyi State Government. The
recent Izzi-Ikwo and Ezza-Effium conflicts with deadly consequences to lives and properties of peace loving Ebonyi people, easily come to mind.
We make bold to state that we have abundant pictorial and audio evidence, that the
procurement and distribution of pump action and other automatic weapons has become
a policy backed by Executive action in Ebonyi State. With the creation of Ebubeagu Security outfit in the State, the possession and open display of firearms by street urchins has become a common place. What is most worrisome about the Ebonyi variant of Ebubeagu is that the recruitment, deployment and rules of engagement, including their command structure, is shrouded in secrecy. It is difficult, therefore, to hold them accountable for their crimes. However, what is more dangerous is the fact that since
they operate in mufti, it is difficult to separate their activities from that of unknown
gunmen and other criminals. This must be particularly challenging for our security
agencies whose constitutional duty is the protection of lives and property of the ordinary
citizens.
Finally, we are alarmed to report that it has come to our knowledge that the Ebonyi
State Government has covertly established special detention centers in the state, where
kidnapped political opponents are kept and tortured in the name of “interrogation”. The
recent case of journalist Prince Anyigor Methuselah easily comes to mind. As confessed
by Prince Anyigor himself, he was abducted by agents of the Ebonyi State Government,
kept in an underground detention facility, and forced against his will to type and send
messages with his phone supposedly professing support for the State Government.
Worthy of mention also is the kidnap and torture of Barr. Amos Ogbonna by agents of
Ebonyi State Government. Barr Ogbonna, who has been lying critically ill in the hospital
until recent, escaped being buried alive in a hurriedly dug shallow grave by special divine
intervention. He is now using crutches and is scheduled for more surgeries in the near
future, even as he continues to frequent the hospital for regular check-ups and medication.
The cases of kidnap and murder all over Ebonyi State are legion. Rather than protect its citizens, the Ebonyi State Government is known for eating its own children. In other to
cover his tracks, Governor Umahi remains in denial and continues to peddle atrociously false petitions against PDP leaders.
We call on the security agencies to investigate the secret detention centers set up by the
Ebonyi State Government, and release the dying occupants immediately to re-join their
families and loved ones. We also call on the relevant security agencies to investigate the
following crimes:
(i) Attempted murder of Barr. Amos Ogbonna
(ii) Murder of Mr Chukwudi Daniel
(iii) Murder of Mr Onu Francis
(iv) Murder of Mr Kelechi Nwozaku
(v) Forgery of Ebonyi Police Command press release by an agent of the state
government called Engr. Damian Okafor
(vi) Forgery of Arise TV video clip involving Senator Obinna Ogba by a staff of the
Ebonyi State Government.
We thank you for attending
