By Ruth Oginyi
The apex Igbo youths body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has called on the governors of the South East region of the country to take cue from their counterparts in the South West by establishing a regional security outfit that will tackle the security threat in the region.
OYC said the regional security outfit will be known as ‘Operation Otawike.’
It, however, called for a dialogue the federal government and leaders of the Yoruba Nation including the governors of the region, to address the fallout in the recently created Western Regional Security outfit also known as Amotekun.
OYC in a statement issued on Thursday by its National President, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that such security outfit as Amotekun already exists in the North in form of Civilian JTF.
Mr Isiguzoro called for a similar outfit in the Southeast to be named Otawike which he said will, in conjunction with Amotekun complement the efforts of the security agencies in combating insecurity in the southern region.
The statement, “Amotekun and Otawike offers lasting measures and solutions for peace to return to the South West and East as there are already such outfits in the North, the Civilian JTF and Sharia Police”
“We Support any informal meeting between the Attorney General of Nigeria with all the Southern Governors on the proposal for regional security outfits to compliment efforts of the federal security agents to arrest insecurity challenges in the South.
“Anyone else fighting against regional Security outfits in the South is proponent and beneficiary of insecurity challenges facing Nigeria and should be arrested for such stance.
“Why haven’t the Attorney General of Nigeria suspended the Northern Security outfit, Civillian JTF and Sharia Police?”
Mr Isiguzoro blamed the security challenges in the Southeast on division amongst the stakeholders and called on them to come together to chart a new course for the security of the entire region.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide sues for peace talk amongst all warring parties and stakeholders in Igbo land, with a clear mandate to unite every stakeholder towards maximum security and the protection of South East in the face of insecurity challenges emanating from the nefarious activities of Herdsmen, armed robbers and kidnappers.
“These and other social vices are thriving in the region nowadays because of the ongoing division amongst major stakeholders in the South East”, the statement added.
