COMMUNIQUE BY THE TRADITIONAL RULERS OF ANAMBRA STATE ON THE TRANSFER OF BOKO HARAM SECT MEMBERS TO THE STATE.
At an emergency meeting held on Friday, 3rd July, 2015, the Anambra State Traditional Rulers raised the following concerns:
- After six years during which the Nigerian security forces have been unable to effectively eliminate the activities of the Boko Haram sect in one part of the country, some members of this deadly sect have now been transferred to a hitherto quiet, stable and secure State, Anambra State.
- The new inmates have been sent to Ekwuluobia Prisons, Anambra State, which is not a maximum security prison, such as those in Kirikiri, Lagos State, and Guatanamo Bay, located in a small Island near Cuba, which the USA uses for the al-Qaeda sect members. The Ekwuluobia Prisons was built decades ago for the rehabilitation of minor criminals, not exceeding eighty (80), but which population has since burgeoned to some one hundred and thirty (130) inmates. The prison is located in the heart of a fast growing semi-urban city, with no further improvement in security infrastructure.
- The new inmates, we understand, are terrorists from Chad Republic, numbering an extra forty seven (47) people, inclusive of their wives and children. They have arrived as part of an apparent agenda to resettle them in Ekwuluobia and its environs, where they will have the opportunity to interact and indoctrinate the existing prison population of petty thieves and minor criminals.
- Consequently, contrary to the practice of isolating, containing and dealing with the problem of insurgents, they are here being brought to our hitherto quiet and peaceful State, thereby making the problem even more intractable.
- All these are happening in a State that is currently flooded by a large number of displaced people that were forced to abandon their normal means of livelihood to seek safety in their home State. Other members of the society have had one or more family members slaughtered by this same sect. There is therefore wide spread anguish and bottled up anger amongst our populace.
- In the near term, these people may be joined by their relations, friends and sect members, who will seek to live within the Ekwuluobia community in order to be able to be visiting them. Already, in the last few days, because of this concern, the hitherto peaceful lives of the Ekwuluobia people and their neighbouring communities have been disrupted and made unbearable by the activities of soldiers that have been sent to beef up security there. People are now afraid to move around on their normal daily chores because of the unnecessary searches and harassment they are frequently subjected to.
- The transfer of these members of the Boko Haram sect to Anambra State now strengthens the perception of a large part of the populace in the State that her indigenes are being punished for their voting pattern in the last election.
- This move also appears to heighten the fears of a large part of the population, which is predominantly Christian, that there is an agenda afoot to Islamize this part, if not all of Nigeria.
- History is replete with stories of petty thieves and criminals, who on interaction with unrepentant criminals of the Boko Haram type, come out of prison to become hardened criminals and suicide bombers, used to decimate the lives of people. Contrary to the practice of isolating, containing and dealing with the problem of insurgents, they are here being spread out to hitherto a quiet and peaceful area, thereby making the problem even more intractable.
- In light of the above, the Traditional Rulers of Anambra State hereby make an urgent appeal to Mr. President as the Chief Security Officer and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, our great Nation, to please use all the powers at his disposal to effect a reversal of this ill-conceived, even reckless and dangerous action of the security operatives, which we believe does not enjoy His Excellency’s approval.
His Majesty, S.U. Nnose His Majesty, C.O. Okeke
Igwe Ivite Anam Igwe Amaokpala
Chairman, North Senatorial Zone Chairman, South Senatorial Zone
His Majesty, Dr. Emeka Ilouno His Majesty, Engr. S.I. Okafor
Igwe Ifite Dunu Igwe Okpuno
Chairman, Central Senatorial Zone Deputy Chairman, ANSTRC
His Majesty, Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe
Eze Ndikelionwu Obi of Onitsha
Deputy Chairman, ANSTRC Chairman, ANSTRC
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