OYA President Accuses Govt-backed Vigilance Group Of Extra-judicial Killings In Imo
The National President of the Orluzurumee Youth Assembly, Prince Izunna Obiefule, has accused a government-backed vigilance group of engaging in extrajudicial killings, maiming, and unlawful arrests and detentions of innocent youths in various parts of Imo State, including Orlu, Orsu, Oru West, and Oru East.
He stated that while these atrocities are being committed against innocent villagers, the government, army, and police remain silent, and alarmingly, this local vigilance group is acting as a surrogate for the police and judiciary in the Orlu Zone.
Obiefule made the accusation during the Report Presentation and Campaign Launch, titled ‘A Decade of Impunity, Attacks, and Unlawful Killings in South East Nigeria’, organized by Amnesty International in Enugu.
Obiefule called on authorities to intervene and restrain the vigilance group from its reckless and hostile behaviour towards the villages, noting that such unauthorized community policing exacerbates the already dire insecurity situation in the state.
Furthermore, he urged the government to adequately equip security agencies to combat crime and insecurity effectively, thereby restoring security, peace, and comfort in Imo State, particularly in the Orlu Senatorial Zone.
The OYA president emphasized that providing adequate fighting equipment, gadgets, and operational vehicles would enable security agencies to be proactive in fighting criminals who use sophisticated arms and ammunition to unleash mayhem on helpless citizens.
Obiefule lamented that the government and security agents are not doing enough to curtail crime, violence, and killings in Imo State, particularly in the Orlu Zone, allowing insecurity to persist.
While condemning the unlawful arrest, prolonged detention, imprisonment, maiming, and killing of law-abiding citizens, Obiefule called on the government to punish any security agent, whether from the police, army, or vigilance outfits, that acts contrary to the law while carrying out security duties.
‘The Orlu Senatorial Zone is the worst affected by the insecurity situation in Imo State. The police and judiciary should check the excesses of some security agents, including vigilance outfits,’ he stressed.
‘Security agents should be professional in dealing with the insecurity situation so that innocent people and their property are not destroyed, as human rights violations in the South East have grown beyond control.’
He pointed out that greed, corruption, selfishness, and wickedness among government officials are the primary causes of insecurity in the region and that good governance and youth empowerment are essential for containing and curtailing crime and violence.
‘For crime, violence, and insecurity to be reduced or eliminated entirely in the South East, government officials should shun greed, corruption, selfishness, and marginalization and instead prioritize good governance and purposeful leadership as expected in a democratic setting,’ he added.
As the apex and umbrella youth body of the Orlu Senatorial District, the OYA boss called on security forces to improve their service to law-abiding citizens and for the government to equip security apparatuses with modern weapons and gadgets to combat insecurity effectively.
Obiefule urged youths to shun crime and violence and instead engage in hard work to become useful citizens.
