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The recent gruesome murder of no fewer than eight security operatives by gunmen in Imo State is condemnable. The victims of the heinous criminality included soldiers, policemen and operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. The incident has again exposed the increasing insecurity in the state and the South-East zone. The dastardly incident occurred in Umualumaku community, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state, when members of the joint security task force team in two security trucks were ambushed, killed and set ablaze by their attackers.
The victims were burnt inside their operational vehicles. The attack was reprehensible. It underscores the unending insecurity in Imo State and other parts of the South-East region. In a related development, two police officers were killed and another injured a day after the Imo incident by gunmen in Enugu State. The unfortunate incident occurred along the Udi-Ozalla Road during a routine patrol by a team of police officers from Operation Restore Peace in Enugu State.
We condemn the brutal killings in both states. However, the Imo case is more pathetic. The insecurity in the state is apparently growing despite measures put in place to contain it. The Imo incident is horrendous. It came at a time the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, had assured the citizens of adequate security. It is disturbing that insecurity in Imo is rising some months to the November gubernatorial election in the state.
There is need for a thorough investigation of the incident. It is good that Imo State governor, Senator Governor Hope Uzodinma, has visited the scene of the incident and pledged to fish out the perpetrators of the attack and deal with them accordingly. The army has equally vowed to unmask those behind the dastardly action. The police should apprehend the culprits and prosecute them.
There must be an end to the growing culture of insecurity in the South East. Increasingly, the South East has become a killing field. Apart from agitators seeking independence of the zone from the rest of the country, armed gangs have been on the prowl in the region, killing people and destroying businesses. Many prominent citizens of the region and other Nigerians had been killed or chased out of the zone by the criminals. Policemen and other security agents had also been killed in the senseless attacks.
Due to rising insecurity in the region, many people and businesses have relocated to other parts of the country. The zone has lost investments on account of insecurity. The insecurity has increased unemployment and poverty in the region.
The Monday sit-at-home has cost the zone billions of naira and may likely make the South-East economy to collapse soon. Anambra State loses about N19.6billion each time a sit-at-home order is observed. Other states in the region are also witnessing similar losses. Apart from the Monday lockdown, occasional directives from amorphous groups equally force residents to remain indoors. The development has seriously hampered farming and other economic activities in the zone.
The governors and community leaders in the region need to address the worsening security in the zone before anarchy sets in. Let the governors provide good governance and create more jobs. They should also engage the restive youths. We call on the governors to come up with a regional security arrangement that will halt the looming anarchy in the zone.
The federal government should also step in to tackle the security challenge. It has become obvious that the insecurity in the region has gone beyond the capacity of the states to manage. The insecurity in Imo and other states in the South-East has become a serious threat to peace in the country. The federal government cannot afford to look the other way while the zone is overrun by criminals. The primary function of government is the security and the welfare of the people. The security situation in the South- East zone has become piteous and needs urgent attention. Since the criminals have become more daring, there is need for a change of strategy in the war against them. Intelligence gathering and sharing should be enhanced among the security operatives in the region.
