By Chukwudi Nweje
A think tank of Enugu State indigenes in Lagos State under the platform of Enugu State Progressives Forum has condemned the spike of insecurity across Enugu state in recent times.
It condemned the recent gruesome murders of Prof. Sam Ndubuisi, who until his assassination was the Chief Executive Officer of the Scientific Equipment Development Initiative SEDI, the killing of Ifeanyi Okeke, Chief Executive Officer of AuthoEase Company in the presence of his seven-year-old son barely 72 hours after the Ndubuisi, and the killing of a former High Court Judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji in May this year.
Coordinator of the group, Chief Everest Ozonweke and the Secretary, Chief Chris Uzoma Okolo respectively, in a statement after its meeting on Thursday, regretted that Enugu State is moving from its status as the most peaceful state in the South East to a centre of insecurity.
It said, “It has been a reign of terror with our best brains as the target of assassination. Life in the once peaceful State has snowballed into a negative and precarious trajectory with insecurity fast becoming a new misnomer. Within this period, the security challenges in Enugu State has worsened by the minutes with lives and properties lost in their numbers almost unrestricted. we are heavily saddened by the heartless and senseless assassination of Prof. Ndubuisi which took place less than 72 hours after the assassination of the Chief Executive Officer of AuthoEase Company, Ifeanyi Okeke, you may recall that Prof Nnaji was also assassinated recently.”
The group described the killings as too many, which if not matched with corresponding counter and fierce force, may see Enugu State descend into a terror republic, where nobody is safe.
It also called on the security agencies to redouble their efforts and called on residents of the state to be more security conscious as they go about their businesses.
It further said, “We urge our security personnel’s who put their lives on their line of duty not to be deterred but rise up to the occasion with visible and reassuring measures that can guarantee the security of lives and property in Enugu State, those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to book.”
The group restated their belief in the efforts of Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to keep the state safe and commiserate with the families of the deceased persons, the entire state and the Enugu State Police Command over the loss of lives.