South-East security outfit known as ‘Ebube Agu’ has begun operations in Ebonyi state. This comes a few days after it was inaugurated by the Governors from the region.
Although yet to be officially confirmed by the Ebonyi state government, photos posted on social media showed some of the officials of the South-East security outfit Ebony branch in their uniform, all getting set for business.
Recall that we reported here that the governors of the five Southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo after the attacks in Imo and Anambra state by some unknown gunmen, decided to take their destinies into their hands and address the fast-deteriorating security situation in the region with the unveiling of a new South-East security outfit codenamed Ebube Agu.
‘Ebube Agu’, meaning fear of a lion in Ibo, is fashioned after the Southwest security outfit, Amotekun, launched early last year amidst furore from the security institutions.
Ebube Agu, with its headquarters in Enugu, is charged with the responsibility to coordinate all the activities of vigilantes in the Southeast, and to checkmate rising unrest in the region.
Since the launching of the security outfit, Ebonyi state, if this story is confirmed by government officials, will be the first to kick off operations, as insecurity in the region keeps getting worse by the day.
While a lot of people have welcomed the new security outfit, and others condemning the governors for waiting a little too late, if anything, the generality of the populace fears that the region could be turned into a war zone, with the new security outfit, especially after the leader of IPOB Nnamdi Kanu and his security outfit, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) kicked against it.
At their meeting a few days ago, the Southeast governors and heads of security agencies in the region had issued a communiqué where they agreed to:
“To strongly and unequivocally condemn terrorism and banditry in any part of Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast. The meeting strongly condemned the burning of police stations, violent attacks on custodial centres with the unlawful release of inmates, and the killings including security personnel, natives/farmers and herdsmen.
“That the political leadership in the Southeast has resolved to bring together all the arsenals at their command, as one united zone, to fight and flush out criminals and terrorist from the zone. That the heads of all the security agencies in the South-East have resolved to exchange intelligence in a seamless, effective new order that will help to checkmate crime in the zone.
“That to fast track crime-busting in the Southeast, the heads of security agencies have been mandated to draw up a comprehensive list of their logistics and material needs for sustainable success in the fight against criminality, for the immediate provision by the leadership of the Southeast. That a committee made up of security personnel, government officials and relevant stakeholders be set up to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the South-East joint security platform.
“The meeting resolved to maintain a joint security vigilante for the Southeast, otherwise known as Ebube Agu.
“Southeast governors requested the Acting IGP to stop the influx of IGP monitory units but to allow CPs and state and zonal commands to handle their cases. Meeting approves that the acting IGP and other security chiefs do invite the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and CAN to find out the reason for increasing insecurity of the Southeast.
“Meeting agreed that open grazing has been banned and security agency should implement the ban.”