By Charles Kumolu

ASABA— NATIONAL  President of Akaikenga, a pan-Igbo socio-cultural Organisation Dr. Sylvanus Ebigwei,  has blamed the creation of so many autonomous communities in the South East for the involvement of some traditional rulers in the increasing cases of kidnapping.

Ebigwea, who disclosed this in a chat with Vanguard, called on the federal government  to co-opt  traditional rulers with integrity in the fight against kidnapping in the region.

He said:  “What happened in the east is that the creation of so many autonomous communities,allowed for so many traditional rulers who have questionable characters. Some of them have been indicted for aiding and  abating, while some have been caught. That makes our earlier thinking of using them to solve the problem difficult.

“We wanted to use them to form vigilante groups, which would lead to them working hand in hand with the police. You know that without information, the police and other law enforcement agents will be incapacitated in terms of crime fighting.”

He however argued that the inability of the political class to put their acts together, contributed to the spate of kidnapping in the south east geo-political zone.