Emerging report indicates that some concerned members of the National Assembly are mounting pressure on the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, to declare a state of emergency on insecurity.It was learnt that massive attacks are now been orchestrated by the Northerners against the Southerners.
The Majority Deputy Chief Whip, Pally Iriase, who dropped the hint during a media chat with Legislative Correspondents, in Abuja, raised an alarm over the renewed attacks and kidnapping across Edo North, where terrorists are trying to create a safe haven.
The Lawmaker, alleged that the sophisticated weapons being used by the bandits to the unleash terror on innocent residents and travelers across Edo State, especially Owan East and West, Etsako West, and Akoko Edo, cannot be equated with that of the Fulani herdsmen.
He further observed that areas where these men of the underworld are currently using to perpetuate the deadly act, are close to the Military and Police barracks.
He posited that members of these yet to be identified assailants are similar to the Boko Haram terrorists, who were dislodged in the North-East geopolitical zone, adding that, all efforts made by the vigilante groups within the areas to curtail their activities, were abortive.
“These bandits may well be members of the terrorists gang that have been dislodged from the North, because if you see the sophistication of their weaponry, if you see the audacity to which they do what they do, if you see the mindlessness with which they go about their banditry, and their quest to extort ransom, you will know that these men are not herdsmen, they are pure terrorists.
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“What they are doing is to create a safe haven in the forest around Edo North, and I believe that if this is allowed, then whatever we are suffering now in the North-East, will be transferred to the South.
“They are not locals, if they were locals all you will know them for is this cut to size locally made pistols, or at best pump action. You are talking about people wielding machine guns. People wielding AK 47; AK 47 is the least weapon, you see them carrying, so they are just beyond what people call herdsmen, and they are very sharp shooters.
“All those they have killed, they get them with one shot. If you are running, just know you are gone, just make yourself available and pay whatever ransom they are talking about, and like I said, the populace is suffering in silence.
“There has to be an effort of the Military and Police; if this is not done, what you call cooperation (between security agencies and bandits) in whatever criminal tendencies, can only be snuffed out by concerted efforts by the security forces. The primary objective of governance is to secure life and property, and this is why it is very urgent and important that this clarion call be heeded, so that we don’t have a terrible blowout that will not be easy to contain,” the Edo Lawmaker lamented.
While reacting on the recent relocation threat issued by some Northern youth groups against Igbo indigenes, the two term Lawmaker said: “I will support the call for a state of emergency on security. If there is a state of emergency nationwide, all these statements and threat will be taken care of.
“The statement of Arewa youths, is the most irresponsible statement ever made by a group”, Iriase stressed.
