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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
A Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has called for the arrest of Ebubeagu security outfit, describing its actions as wicked and barbaric.
While condemning the overzealousness of the security apparatus, it expressed displeasure on the jungle justice on suspects.
COSEYL President General, Goodluck Ibem, in a statement in Owerri, yesterday, said: “We are not in stone age where anyone or persons will wake-up one morning accuse someone of been a criminal and kill the said person.
“We are in 21st century where we have rule of law and the constitution guarding the people and government activities as regards to governance. For Ebubeagu security operatives to wake-up and start killing Igbo youths in whatever guise is totally unacceptable.
“Most of the houses in the affected communities have been burnt down and destroyed while the few persons who escaped being killed have ran away leaving those communities empty. Those towns are now ghost communities.
“One of the disturbing incidences was a situation where a woman received machete cuts in her head, hand and other parts of her body because of her inability to provide her husband or tell the Ebubeagu operatives where her husband went to.
“This is unbecoming of a sane society. Ndi-Imo and Ndi-Igbo must rise and condemn in its entirety this despicable act by these so-called Ebubeagu security operatives.
“The courts remain the last arbiter and no one has the constitutional rights or powers to take the life of another man at will. If anyone is arrested on suspicion of being a criminal, he or she should be taken to court for the court to trial such persons involved. It is unlawful and a criminal act to torture, maim or kill anyone on the premise of being a criminal.
“Houses and properties that were destroyed in those communities, which court gave such orders? These operatives just assumed the duties of the courts and went ahead to destroy people’s homes and assets without recourse to the law of the land. Too sad.
“We warn those Ebubeagu security operatives to stop forthwith the extrajudicial killings now and we demand those found culpable of extrajudicial killings in Imo State should be made to face the music,” Ibem said.
