A few days before the country’s 2023 general election, the governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has agreed to the Federal High Court’s decision to dissolve the Ebubeagu security organisation.
Umahi also voiced concerns about reported threats to obstruct electoral proceedings in the south-eastern geopolitical zone made by a separatist group led by Simon Ekpa.
Umahi announced this in a broadcast speech to the state’s stakeholders and inhabitants.
He claimed: “We are aware of several issues regarding the security situation in our state and the South East, which will be tackled during this address. Concerning the threat to scuttle elections in the South East and, consequently, in Ebonyi State, I want to make a plea to our people to please heed the voice of reason and ignore any announcement that aims to scuttle elections in the South East, other regions of the nation, and in particular Ebonyi State. About this, our people need to be extremely attentive.
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“We would encourage the traditional leaders and all stakeholders to organise meetings in their communities to appeal to our people not to carry out such threats because security services would not throw up their hands and permit elections in Ebonyi State and the South East to be disrupted.
As a result, we are making an appeal to our brothers and sisters who are being used to carry out such threats, threats of killings, threats of burning down property, and other violent activities without realising why they are fighting. Let me reassure the people of Ebonyi and everyone else who is attending this election that we will take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety while adhering to the law, and that the elections will take place as scheduled while also being extremely peaceful.
However, he replaced Ebubeagu with two other security organisations, the Ebonyi Vigilante Corps and Neighborhood Watch Groups, and instructed them not to take part in the upcoming general elections in the state.
“I have chosen to abide by the later ruling that states that Ebubeagu should not function, thus for the time being, Ebubeagu should not function while we process the stay of execution and appeal entered at Enugu and Ebubeagu will resume functioning when allowed,” the judge wrote.
