Anambra Killings: House Seeks FG Intervention, Calls for Disarmament of Persons Carrying Unlicensed Guns

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to address some of the underlying factors causing unrest and violence in the south-east and urgently set in motion the process of disarming different unlicensed persons carrying guns in the region and other parts of the country.

This is with the aim of enthroning a safe environment and polity towards the general elections.
The House also urged the Heads of Security Agencies to work towards security of lives and property by embracing Early Warning and Early Response Mechanism to collaborate with focal security agencies in sharing of intelligence information.

It further urged the federal government to urgently intervene in the rescue mission of Anambra State by extending financial support and other strategic logistics to enable the adequately contain the wave of insecurity in the state.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance on the need to stabilise the polity in the south east as a build up to the 2023 general election, sponsored by Hon. Dozie Nwankwo, at yesterday’s plenary.
Moving the motion, Nwankwo lamented that the recently concluded party primaries further exposed the polity to the activities of the miscreants who terrorise the region, striking at will and retreating unchallenged.

Though he said insecurity cuts across the nation, he noted thst the south-east, particularly Anambra Staté, in recent times has been facing security challenges.

He noted the giant strides made by Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, to reduce the activities of the activities of unknown gunmen in Anambra State since assuming office through diplomatic means and other intervention strategies using part of the lean resources of the state.
He said that between June 2020 — April 2022, about 8,455 people’s lives had been wasted in the zone under reference on account of insecurity and requires to be nipped in the bud.

He said, “he believes that with the heightened socio-economic and political activities across the nation, commensurate measures require to be put in place to keep the polity conducive enough for the citizens to actively participate in all these activities particularly in the zone without molestations or fears. Worried that with the elitist crave far political power, poor responses from the security agencies to emergencies become more manifest owing to their numerous challenge.

“Alarmed that challenges spanning from lack of sufficient equipment to corruption in the system, lack of strategic deployment, thereby worsening the integrity and efficiency of the security agencies in the face of increased spate of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, cultism, ritual killing and worst of all, political killings.

“Also mindful of the fact that with the heightened tempo of socio-economic and political activities, the polity must be kept safe and conducive for the citizens to freely participate in the electoral and other activities to achieve the long term result of stable polity.”

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on information and technology to liaise with the Ministry of information & Culture and National Orientation Agency to embark on public awareness campaigns and sensitization exercises and report back within 3 weeks for further legislative action.