The Igbo Delegates Assembly has raised alarm over the continuous attacks on farmers and rural communities in the Southeast by suspected killer herdsmen, calling for immediate and coordinated intervention by security agencies and state governments in the region.
In a communiqué issued after its second quarterly meeting held in Abuja on Monday, the Assembly condemned what it described as the “heinous killings” by armed gangs, urging Southeast governors and security heads to intensify efforts to safeguard lives and property.
The communiqué, signed by the President-General of the Assembly, Chief Kenneth Okeugo, also extended condolences to victims of the recent flood in Mokwa, Niger State, and those affected by mass killings in Yelewata, Benue State.
“We frown on the incessant and heinous killings going on in Igboland and across Nigeria by killer gangs and herdsmen who invade and sack communities, slaughtering innocent citizens in cold blood without adequate response from security agencies,” the statement read.
The Assembly urged the federal and state governments to provide immediate relief to victims of the Mokwa flood disaster and to take proactive steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In a bid to foster economic development in the region, the group also called on Igbo entrepreneurs to begin relocating their investments to the Southeast and to lead the charge in industrializing the region.
“We call on Igbo entrepreneurs to deliberately diversify their investments towards Igboland,” the Assembly noted. “They should take the lead in industrializing the region to create employment for our teeming youths and fast-track regional development.”
While acknowledging the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in tackling insecurity in the Southeast—particularly in curbing the menace of unknown gunmen—the group urged the president to further strengthen security operations to ensure total elimination of criminal elements in the region and across other troubled parts of the country.
The Assembly reaffirmed its full support for Ohanaeze Ndigbo and pledged continued affiliation with the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, applauding its leadership under Senator John Azuta-Mbata.
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