says constituents sleeping in bush

…gives Army 14 ultimatum to respond to Noel Ezeribe’s murder

…says President Buhari cannot tag all Igbo people criminals to give them 1967 Civil War treatment

By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja

The member representing Abor Mbaise and Ngor Okpala federal constituency of Imo State, Hon. Bede Eke has raised an alarm to the authorities that the security agencies are killing his constituents.

The killings, he said, came on the heels of the recent killing of the former presidential adviser and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Ahmed Gulak in Owerri, Imo State.

The lawmaker who addressed a press conference on Thursday in Abuja gave the names of some victims as Noel Chigbu Nzeribe, Tochi Ekwe and many others missing kinsmen.

He said that many have been driven to the bushes while others fled to where they have spent days without their families.

READ ALSO:Gulak: Security forces killing our people, Imo Rep raises alarm

While totally condemning Gulak’s brutal murder, Eke appealed to the security agencies to exercise restraints and stop killing innocent people.

According to him, calls from his constituents have reached a crescendo to intervene in their current ordeal in the hands of the security operatives.

Eke asked the police and the army to conduct a discreet investigation, identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice rather than mass intimidation and killings of his constituents.

“We lost a young man. Until his death owns and operates a Shawarma shop just to make ends meet. He was hot by the army because he could not obey the rules at the checkpoint.

“The family has written a petition to the army. We as the people of Ngor Okpala/Mbaise are not happy about it and as the representative of the people, I want to make it known to the world that we are waiting for the outcome of the petition.

“As the representative of the people, I am giving the army 14 to respond to the killing of that young man who left a pregnant wife and his two children. One is 3 and the other is 2 years old.

“Are we the killer of Ahmed Gulak? The answer is no. We are not the killers. But if anything happens on our land, the police should take their time to Investigate and unravel the perpetrators of these crimes. I have pictures, videos of people killed. Our people cannot long sleep in their houses. My constituents call me from the bush to say, Hon. Speak for us. The world should hold the security agents responsible if my people are killed. There is nothing wrong in arresting people, wrong in the investigation, in unraveling the killers or sponsors of this heinous crime. But the issue is to let the innocent people be free. Freedom of movement is enshrined in the constitution.

“I have pictures where the military went to my Constituency, Enyiogugu to be precise, destroyed shops owned by my constituents, Nigerians, carted away their goods. What have we done? What crime did we commit?

“Gulak left Owerri. The meaning is that you have to start that arrest from the hotel in Owerri where he left.

“I can no longer keep quiet. These people elected me to speak for them. Please, I beg the Security agents, the authorities to allow my people in peace. If you have made some arrests, killed some people as a result of this crime, why are you still hunting my constituents? Why is that that Thea people are not allowed to sleep in their houses?

“I came out and condemned the killers of Gulak. He was a true Nigerian for him to have left his comfort zone for our place. That’s exhibiting one nation, one country. Everybody is free to move. But if the police are still investigating and the government has said they have made some arrests, please, let them leave my people alone.

“I talked about Mr. Chigbu whom the army killed, I have pictures, videos, even that of an Okada operator that was shot. What did we do wrong? That we host the airport, close to the airport does not make us criminals.”

Eke also recalled that the host communities of the Sam Mbakwe Cargo International Airport who donated land for a naval base in the area have not been duly compensated.

“We have been keeping quiet. We gave land to the Nigerian air force, we knew how that land was taken. My people wanted to make trouble out of it. But we said no. This is government. Up till now, there is no MoU with the owners of the land. The host communities of Sam Mbakwe Cargo International airport came here with a petition in the last Assembly.

“The House resolved and mandated all the agencies operating in that Airport to have an MoU with these people and made sure they are protected by Corporate social responsibility. Until now, nothing has happened. They came up with another petition to remind the House that these agencies have refused to obey their resolutions. We are law-abiding, very peaceful people. I don’t know why they are coming after us”, he said.

Reacting to the comment credited to President Muhammadu Buhari on sending shockwaves to the zone soonest, the lawmaker expressed worry, saying everyone in the southeast cannot be tagged a criminal.

“I would tell you that I am worried. My worry is that if they should descend on these so-called liberators or the ESN, these people alleged to be destroying government facilities, it is the duty of the government to protect lives and properties. But what we cannot take is to term all of us from that region as criminals. We cannot take that because we are not.

“If you go to the northeast, they are killing our military officers and police, do you tag all of them? I have not and cannot also remember any complain coming from there to say the military is killing innocent citizens. We know they face these Boko haram people squarely. Why then is it a different case in my place? It calls for worry and I am concerned”, he said.