A former Commissioner for Information, Ebonyi State, Chief Abia Onyike, on Monday, chided Governor David Umahi for establishing two new security outfits, despite last week’s disbandment of the outfit by a Federal High Court, in Abakaliki.
Onyike, who was victim of the operations of the recently disbanded South-East security network code-named Ebubeagu, described the formation of the new security outfits as a violation of court orders, opined that Ebonyians were expecting Governor Umahi to apologise to the traumatised families of loved ones were killed, maimed, illegally detained, brutalised, abducted, kidnapped and subjected to several forms of inhuman treatment by Ebubeagu.
Recall that an excerpt from the judgement of the Federal High Court gave an “order of perpetual injunction restraining him, his government and their agents or privies from recognising, parading or continuing to recognize or parade any person or persons as a state or regional security outfit in the guise of any security agency…”
He urged Umahi to refrain from further acts of treasonable felon geared towards overriding the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the sovereign will of the people, through his misuse of political power.
According to him, “Governor Umahi’s continued parade of his so-called two new security outfits is a violation of the above orders of the court and therefore amounts to contempt of court.
“I wish to draw the attention of the public to Governor David Umahi’s renewed antics regarding the recent judgement of the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, which disbanded his killer squad, Ebubeagu.
“Gov. Umahi shamelessly organized a press conference where he told Ebonyians that he had formed two new security outfits, while still pressing for a stay of Execution to enable him to reinvent his dreaded Ebubeagu killer squad.
“Many innocent citizens are still languishing in jail as a result of the excesses of Umahi’s Ebubeagu. Those in jail should be released immediately and unconditionally.
“Now, Governor Umahi should take note that he has no other alternative than to obey the court order which was a declaratory order on the vexed issue of human rights abuses.
“This devilish culture of insisting on butchering the citizens as an instrument of power grab must be stopped if our democracy is to survive. Let Umahi and his cronies/foot soldiers succumb to the conventional security apparatus for a level playing field as we approach the 2023 general elections.
“Umahi’s insistence on creating further security outfits should be seen as the antinomies of a sinking war-lord who is desperate to win elections and impose his surrogates at all costs.
“Ebonyians have rejected these worn-out machinations. They want free and fair elections to enable them elect credible leaders of their choice.”