Umahi orders arrest of Ebubeagu operatives who tortured, killed man in Ebonyi

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has directed the arrest of those involved in the torture of late Nnaogo Anyim with an axe.

Umahi stated this when he paid an on-the-spot visit to Akaeze in Ivo local government Area of the state to assess the level of carnage in the area following a violent protest that destroyed properties worth millions of naira by angry youths in the area.

Akaeze Police Station was set also ablaze alongside the properties of the Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area and Development Centre Coordinator.

Recall that Anyim was arrested by the men of Ebubeagu Security Network attached to Ivo local government over an alleged robbery but died at the hospital following alleged torture by the operatives.

Umahi also directed the immediate demobilization of all gun-carrying non-security persons in the area and urged the security personnel to step-up security presence and surveillance to avert reoccurrence.

He then called on Ebonyi youths to shun involvement in criminalities and embrace peace for orderliness in the society.

He said: “I feel so sad over the couple of incidences that happened in this place. In the first place, I condemn the viral video that was making round where somebody was using an axe on a fellow human being, my position is that life is sacred and all those people that did that whether they are in government, whether they are Ebubeagu, whether they are stakeholders must be prosecuted immediately.

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“There is no reason in this matter that should warrant anybody to take law into their hands, at the end of time we are going to be accountable to God.

“It is important to note that Ebubeagu is a security outfit backed by law and it will not be disbanded but any Ebubeagu member that violates the law will go in for it.

“The law on Ebubeagu is very clear, just like there are bad elements in other security forces and within the society, there may be bad eggs in Ebubeagu but my position is that the bad eggs in Ebubeagu must be identified and removed. Ebubeagu is doing very beautiful work, they are helping the police, they are helping the Army, but we have a procedure.

“When you have the right within the limit of the law to arrest people, you have to hand them over to the Police immediately and it stops there, you are not even permitted to torture them not to talk of killing them but you have the right of self-defence and the evidence must be there and overwhelmingly and so what happened here did not make me happy.

“Two wrongs must never make a right, the seven people that masterminded this must be arrested and prosecuted, I am not the Governor of one Party, I am the Governor of all parties, and most importantly I am accountable to God.

“Let me warn all the youth to be very careful about taking laws into their hands. If they commit a murder case and it is brought before me, I will sign their execution.”

Meanwhile, the officer-in-charge of Akaeze Police Station, ASP John Okereke, while narrating the event of the burning down of the Police Station said some of the perpetrators are hardened criminals who already had cases in the station.