TheCable

Igbo-Eze North (IGN) Speakers, a civil society organisation and political advocacy group, has called for the withdrawal of soldiers deployed to Igbo-Eze north LGA of Enugu over alleged assaults on women.

In a statement over the weekend, the group said the security operatives deployed to the local government to restore peace have become “worst enemies” of residents.

Recently, a video appeared on social media wherein some women protested against the alleged killing of community members purportedly labelled as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by security operatives.

The women, robbed in black clothing, marched across Imufu, Ogrute and other communities in Enugu-Ezike in the local government.

Reacting to the incident, Emeka Mamah and Felix Abugu, spokespersons of the group, called for an investigation into the alleged ill-treatment and extra-judicial killing of innocent people in Igbo-Eze north by security agents.

“In truth, of what use are the soldiers in the security arrangement in Igbo-Eze north? Rather than be the solution, soldiers, indeed practically all the security forces, have become the main source of insecurity in IGN,” the group said.

“Today, the hoodlums that they were invited ostensibly to protect our people from are no longer our problem but soldiers and the rest of the security forces agents who have turned their inexplicable anger and their weapons — against the very people they were supposed to protect.

“Soldiers now torture (as evident in the viral video) and extort the local people, sometimes watching in feigned helplessness as masked ‘security’ agents kill, maim and rob our people with impunity.

“We demand an investigation to know who ordered the onslaught on the women. We believe that that will help to stop such impunity from the forces on rural people.

“We also demand that the Enugu state government, in particular, Igbo-Eze north local council issue a public apology and compensation to the women who have been harassed, detained, and violated.

“We believe that the security challenges facing IGN do not need the high-handedness and escalation that government security forces have brought to bear on the management of the situation.”