Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Abia Government has condemned the shooting of some of its citizens by security operatives and the consequent loss of their lives.
Chief of Staff to the Abia Governor, Dr. A.C.B. Agbazuere, in a statement, said while government appreciates the commitment and industry of heads of security agencies in the state, the recklessness of some security personnel in the discharge of their duties in the state must stop.
“Government hereby reassures all Abians that anybody who takes the life of an Abian must definitely face justice. The soldier who killed an Abian at Umuokereke Ngwa has been dismissed from the army and is in prison awaiting final justice for murder. All other arm bearers must learn their lessons. A word is enough for the wise,”Agbazuere said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, has expressed concern over the spate of extra-judicial killings by security agents enforcing the lockdown order in states across the country.
Okechukwu, in a statement, urged the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu and heads of security agencies to put an end to the ugly development.
He said security agents should keep to their rules of engagement in enforcing the stay-at-home orders made by the federal and state governments.
“I call on the Inspector General of Police and heads of various security agencies to step up their game, ensuring that field commanders are appropriately and regularly briefed on rules of engagement and regulations guiding security-public relationship in the present circumstances. Importantly, they must fish out the trigger-happy officers and bring them to book without further delays,” the lawmaker said.
The lawmaker commended the Enugu State government for its efforts in managing the pandemic and charged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) and the the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to increase the capacity for testing of the virus by ensuring that every stare has at least one testing centre.
“I commend the Government of Enugu State for painstakingly implementing wide-ranging measures and policies that address the peculiarities of our state in the face of this pandemic and call on well-meaning citizens of Enugu State to support government’s efforts by not only ensuring compliance and but also by being their brothers’ keeper.
I have also noted the incidents of violence and agitations that have come up in various parts as a result of overzealousness of some security personnel.”