South East: Igbo union urges communities to set up vigilantes
By John Okezie
A group, the Igbo National Union -Worldwide (INU-W) has urged traditional rulers and Presidents General of town unions in the South East to establish vigilantes in their various communities, to curb insecurity in their areas.
INU-W equally tasked the communities and landowners to conduct census of non indigenes residing in their communities and their means of livelihood, to checkmate incursions into forests, killings and destruction of properties by killer herdsmen and bandits.
In a statement jointly signed by the National President and Administrative Secretary of INU-W, Ngozi Ogbomor and Austin-Mary Ndukwu, respectively, the union said the call become imperative following what it described as the harsh realities of insecurity and threats to the existence and survival of the Igbo.
It stated that the entire Igbo land would be routed if the people fail to protect their land from herdsmen, adding that the census and combing of bushes would help to fish out criminals who live among the people and in the bushes.
Regretting that governments at all levels have failed to protect the people, the group urged the Igbo not to fold their hands and watch herdsmen ravage Igbo land, as no one has a monopoly of violence.
“Having critically analysed the situation on the heightened tension in Igbo land, INU-W understands that self defence is one of the inalienable rights of every human being as enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria and United Nations.
“In order to effectively defend our land and checkmate the incursions, destruction of our people, and their properties by the rampaging herdsmen, INU-W wants all communities and town unions’ Presidents General to inaugurate a security committee to be headed by youth leaders.
“In communities, where there are stranger elements, a thorough census of the strangers and their means of livelihood must be taken.”
INU-W warned that the Igbo can no longer sit and watch while they are being attacked in their own land.
