Tony Okafor, Awka
A group, Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), has called on South-East governors to disband the Ebubeagu security outfit, describing it as a killer squad.
The group further alleged that the outfit was being used to kill and kidnap innocent people, especially youth in the region.
Stating this on Monday in a release by its chief media officer, Udemadu Chika, the group asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Amnesty International and other rights groups to investigate the activities of Ebubeagu.
Udemadu said NUF reached the decision for the disbandment of the South-East security outfit after its meeting on Monday, arguing that Ebubeagu which was set set up to combat crime and criminality in the zone had turned against those they were meant to protect.
The Igbo group condemned what it called the incessant, unwarranted and extra-judicial killings of innocent and unarmed Igbo youth in the South-East zone
It said , ” Such waste of human lives by a security outfit of the same people they ought to protect has defeated the objective of setting it up. The reckless waste of human lives by Ebubeagu is more pronounced in Imo and Ebonyi States.We condemn the killings and kidnappings for ransom in the zone. The ugly development has adversely affected the economy of the zone.
“We call on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and other international Human Rights organizations such as human rights watch, and Amnesty International among others to investigate the killings in the South-East region, generally. We also call on the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom, Canada, European Commission, among others to investigate the killings and kidnappings in the zone.
The group, however commended the Anambra State Vigilante Services (AVS) for its respect for human rights, stating that the activities of AVS were not known to have abused the rights of the people, calling on other states in the zone to emulate the Anambra security operational methods.