Group Calls for State of Emergency in Ebonyi

…. No you’re wrong, Umahi fires back

From Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki

A group under the aegis of Worried Citizens of Nigeria, has called on President Muhammad Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Ebonyi, following the alleged abuse of human rights and other several threats to the security of the citizens in the state.

The group through its spokesman, Moses Idika, while briefing newsmen at the NUJ Secretariat Utako, Abuja alerted Nigerians on the dangers of the Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State whom it accused of posing threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

However, in a swift reaction, Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barrister Orji Uchenna Orji described the allegations levelled against the governor as “false and unfounded”.

Orji said, “it has become imperative to put the records straight over the sensations caused by the mendacious and deceptive account of the cronies of Hon. Linus Abba Okorie over his arrest which was truly in connection with serial crimes allegedly committed by him and the complicity of his club facility – the City Hub in promoting sundry crimes especially in peddling hard drugs and other illicit substances.”

Idika warned that unless the President acts fast, Umahi by his flagrant abuse of the rule of law and other constitutional rights of the people, would derail the country’s democracy.

“That as an effective deterrent, in line with the constitutional powers of Mr President as enshrined in Section 305, (1),(2), (3, b, c, d, and f) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), President Muhammadu Buhari should without delay declare a state of emergency in Ebonyi State in Ebonyi State as Governor David Umahi has sufficiently proven his capability and determination to sink democracy and rule of law in Nigeria.”

Idika alleged that “since Mr Umahi assumed office on May 29, 2015, as the 3rd elected governor of Ebonyi State, he has consistently been on a mission to sink the rule of law in the southeast state. Mr Umahi has elevated human rights abuses and denigration of the Nigerian Constitution to an act of state policy. Ebonyi is now a pariah state!”

He enumerated Umahi’s alleged “affronts on residents of Ebonyi State who dared to speak up against the evil and tyrannical government of Ebonyi superintended by Mr, David Umahi.”

He recalled: “On June 2017, Mr Charles Otu, then a correspondent of The Guardian Newspaper and publisher of a local tabloid, The Conscience newspaper, was brutally abducted and tortured to the point of death at the Ebonyi State Government House, Abakaliki. It took the intervention of the operatives of the Nigeria Police to retrieve the abducted reporter who was then rushed to the hospital. Mr Otu’s only sin was that “he was too critical of the government of Mr Umahi,” Otu still carries both the mental and physical scars of that encounter.

“In April 2020 Umahi once again bared his fangs when on a live TV broadcast, he announced the banishment of Chijioke Agwu and Peter Okutu, the Ebonyi State correspondents of The Sun and Vanguard newspapers respectively.

“Aside from this, it was on this occasion that Umahi made his infamous “koboko” threat against the Nigerian media. In December 2020 when Mr David Umahi defected from his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi suddenly became a killing field as anyone who publicly identified with PDP was roundly assaulted, molested and in some cases unfortunately killed.

“Just two weeks ago, a viral video showed where Governor David Umahi in the full complement of his office stood by while commandeering and supervising security operatives attached to him flog Ebonyi State civil servants in broad daylight.

“The government spokesman and Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji even confirmed the flogging incident but described the victims as miscreants who wanted to embarrass the Governor. This has been the lot of civil servants working around governor Umahi!

“On September 17, 2022, Nigerians who converged In Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital for a rally in support of the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi were brutally assaulted, tear-gassed and arrested by security operatives on the orders of Governor David Umahi. It took the outcry of Nigerians in social media and the intervention of the police high command for the arrested and assaulted to be released and the rally subsequently went ahead to the shame of the baby Hitler of Ebonyi State.

“Just two weeks ago, Governor David Umahi through his surrogate Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Mr Chidiebere Uzor, to the surprise and pain of the public, took all laws into his hands and announced the ban on “all social gatherings,” including marriages, sports activities, burials, church programmes and any form of gathering.

“Citizens according to the local government chairman must obtain written permission from him before any such gathering takes place. It is to be noted that Onicha Local Government has been peaceful and there is no war in Ebonyi State. It is on record that since December 2021, five engineers from NELAN Consultants, Enugu who were working on an AfDB-funded “Ebonyi Ring Road” project, have been missing and have not been seen either dead or alive to date.

The traumatized families of the missing engineers have been trading blame with Governor David Umahi on the whereabouts of their loved ones. The whole world is already abreast with the Ebonyi State Government- sponsored manhunt for Mrs Ann Agom-Eze, the rightful Senatorial candidate of the APC for Ebonyi South whom Governor David Umahi has declared war on for daring to challenge him in court for stealing her mandate through the connivance of corrupt party and INEC officials.

“Just yesterday, the Labour Party (LP) Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South (Gov. Umahi’s main opponent) ahead of the 2023 general elections and a former ranking member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Linus Abba Okorie was brutally and violently ABDUCTED in broad daylight by a detachment of the Ebubeagu militia at Nnorom Street (close to the residence of the victim).

“Hon. Linus since his abduction by agents of the Ebonyi State Government has remained incommunicado, his phones switched off, and his car cannot be found. The government through the Onicha LGA Chairman, Chidiebere Uzor has confirmed the abduction and currently trying to frame him up as a drug peddler.”

The group, thus, urged the security agencies in Ebonyi State to ensure that nothing happens to Hon. Linus Abba Okorie, and appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari in line with the resolution of the National Security Council resolution of Friday, October 14, 2022, (Which Mr President convened and chaired) enjoined all Nigerian politicians to go about electioneering activities ahead of the 2023 general elections within the laws of the land while calling Governor David Umahi to order to forestall the breakdown of law and order in Ebonyi State.

Reacting further, Orji noted ‘the motive behind the weighty but baseless accusations levelled against the security outfit that carried out its lawful and professional duty about the offences hanging around the neck of Hon. Linus Abba Okorie and for which he had for the umpteenth time rudely and subversively evaded every attempt by the Police to arrest him to answer to the crimes he was suspected to have committed, including capital offences.

He continued: “Contrary to the unfounded, irresponsible and vicious accusations widely circulated in social media for cheap political gains, the suspect – Hon. Linus Abba Okorie was arrested and promptly handed over to the Police and he is pretty hale and hearty. He is already giving useful information on his roles in the offences reported against him.

“It is noteworthy to mention that in a petition dated 23rd March 2022 and which was transmitted to the office of the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command on 24th March 2022, the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice sought the arrest of Hon. Linus Abba Okorie over the maliciously concocted and virally circulated criminal and defamatory onslaught against the person of the Governor which violated the extant provisions of Ebonyi State Cybercrimes (Prohibition) Law No 012, 2021 and the Internal Security Law of the State. We were told the Police made several efforts to arrest the said Hon Linus Abba Okorie who was moving fugitively to frustrate the long arms of the Law.

“It is also noteworthy to mention that the Cybercrimes Crack Team in the Ministry of Information and State Orientation reported a criminal case of contravention of the Cybercrimes Laws of Ebonyi State by Hon. Linus Abba Okorie dated 20th January 2022 and same acknowledged by the office of the Commissioner of Police on 31st January 2022. We were told that the said suspect – Hon Linus Abba Okorie had been evading the cause of the investigation.

“On the 16th day of October 2022, actionable intelligence propelled the Ebubeagu Security Agency to operationally track the said Hon Linus Abba Okorie over security information that his staff, to his knowledge, was harbouring illicit drug traffickers in his club facility, one of whom had been arrested, charged to Court and convicted in Charge No: FHC/AI/41C/2022 in the Federal High Court of Nigeria, in the Abakaliki Division.

“It must be noted that Ebonyi State Ebubeagu Security Agency is a creation of the Law established, to among other things, collaborate with and assist the Police and other security agencies in maintaining Law and Order, including but not limited to, ensuring that offenders are identified, arrested, profiled and promptly handed over to the nearest Police Station and this they discharged in the case of Hon. Linus Abba Okorie with a deep sense of responsibility having regard to the sanctity of his constitutional rights.

“The Law is no respecter of persons and its enforcement applies to all manners of people notwithstanding their political or economic status in the society. Our duty as a government is to ensure that the Laws are enforced in line with the best practices.

“We, therefore, urge members of the public to discountenance all the rumours and unfounded accusations against our hardworking Security Agencies and or government officials as the handiwork of political desperadoes who are bitter and envious about the performance index attained by Ebonyi State Government, especially in the creation of enabling physical and social environment for the advancement of our statehood as a people.”

End