The Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Hon. Stanley Okoro-Emeagha has debunked allegations that Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has inaugurated a vigilante group called “Bakassi Boys” to fight the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
The commissioner, while briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, described the rumour peddled by a group called The Biafra Restoration Voice TBRV as strange.
Okoro-Emeagha maintained that the state has no other internal security outfit except the Neighbourhood Watch. He, therefore, described the rumour on social media as false from the pit of hell.
His words: “This is a strange story as far as the state is concerned, there is no security outfit that can be established in this state without the knowledge of the state government and as such, there is nothing like Bakassi Boys.
“There is nothing like Bakassi or Isakaba, IPOB, MASSOB or whatever you call them. People may stay in their homes based on their agitations and say they are IPOB or MASSOB or they are this or that but they are not known in Ebonyi State because their activities are against the law of the land.
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“So, there is nothing like Bakassi in Ebonyi State and there is no inauguration of such group in the state. There is absolutely nothing like that and we don’t condone it. Who did the selection? Who inaugurated them?
“There were some people that came and said they are National Vigilante and the governor said we don’t want to hear anything like that here in the state.
“What we have which is constitutionally approved by our House of Assembly is the state Neighbourhood Watch and everybody knows their activities. It is recognised worldwide and security agencies in the state know their activities and that is the only thing we know in the state and we have as a security outfit.
“Their conduct has limitations, there is a certain extent they don’t go. They give tips to police, their activities do not cross this level and they are sorely to checkmate pocket of crimes, trying to kind of barricades to make sure that if you snatch a car you can’t escape and that all.
“Any other thing called Bakassi, we are not part of it and the state is not part of it. The general public should please disregard that rumour, it is untrue,” Emegha said.
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