South-East Governors Float New Security Outfit “Ebube Agu” To Tackle Insecurity

The South East Governors have established a new security outfit called “EBUBE AGU” against the backdrop of escalating insecurity in the region.

The sudden emergence of the new security outfit “Ebube Agu”, as against the octopus Eastern Security Network (ESN) may not be unconnected with misgivings being expressed by the Federal government which is associating ESN with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which the government tagged a terrorists organisation.

Further, the Federal Government had accused ESN and IPOB of being responsible for the simultaneous attacks on Owerri Prison and Imo state Police Command Headquarters also in Owerri, during which facilities were set ablaze as detainees and inmates were set free.

However, IPOB and ESN had since denied responsibilities for the attacks and others against police stations in the region, saying that they were out to drive away killer herdsmen and protect the region from influx of criminal elements.

According to a communique released by the governors at the end of their meeting on Sunday in Owerri, Imo state Capital, the “Ebube Agu” is assigned to oversee and monitor the activities of vigilante groups in the region.

The Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, Dave Umahi who read the Communique after the meeting, also said that the headquarters of EBUBE AGU security outfit will be in Enugu state.

Below is the full communique signed by governors of the Southeast region.

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY SOUTH EAST GOVERNORS AND HEADS OF SECURITY AGENCIES AT THE END OF THE FIRST SOUTH EAST SECURITY SUMMIT HELD IN OWERRI ON SUNDAY APRIL 11th 2021

After exhaustive discussions on the current security challenges in the South East and with valuable contributions from participants at the first South East security summit in Owerri on this day Sunday April 11th 2021, it was resolved as follows:

1. To strongly and unequivocally condemn terrorism and banditry in any part of Nigeria, particularly in the South East. The meeting strongly condemns the burning of police stations, violent attacks on custodial centres with the unlawful release of inmates, and the killings including security personnel, natives/ farmers and headsmen.

2. That the five South East states are on the same page with the federal government on the issue of security challenges in the country. To this end, the meeting makes it absolutely clear that the South east will stand resolutely with the federal government to fight terrorists and bandits to a finish

3. That the political leadership in the South East has resolved to bring together all the arsenals at their command, as one united zone, to fight and flush out criminals and terrorist from the zone.

4. That the summit resolved that to achieve this, there is a need to galvanise all the relevant stakeholders in the south east, the political class, the business community, the bureaucrats and the intelligentsia to provide all necessary support to security operatives in the five south east states to ensure total success in the fight against criminality in the zone.

5. That the heads of all the security agencies in the south east have resolved to exchange intelligence in a seamless, effective new order that will help to checkmate crime in the zone.

6. That to fast track crime-busting in the south east, the heads of security agencies have been mandated to draw up a comprehensive list of their logistics and material needs for sustainable success in the fight against criminality, for the immediate provision by the leadership of the South East.

7. That a committee made up of security personnel, government officials and relevant stakeholders be set up to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the south east joint security platform.

8. To applaud the initiative of the South east security summit and to make it a statutory summit that will convene every quarter while its hosting shall rotate among the five south east states.

9. The meeting resolved to maintain a joint security vigilante for the South East otherwise known as Ebube Agu.

10. The meeting appreciated the formation of South East joint security outfit co. Named Ebubeagu. Headquarters in Enugu to coordinate our vigilante in the South East.

11. South East Governors requested the Acting IGP to stop the influx of IGP monitory units but to allow cps and state and Zonal commands to handle their cases.

12. Meeting approve that the acting IGP and other security chiefs do invite the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and CAN to find out the reason for increasing insecurity of the South East .

13. Meeting agreed that military policing in the South East should be adequately funded and become effective.

14. Meeting agreed that open grazing has been banned and security agency should implement the ban.

15. The meeting encouraged a peaceful coexistence of farmers and headers to allow Governors to succeed in the fight against criminality.