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Protests in Anambra over arrival of B’Haram suspects

By Chuks Collins, Awka
01 July 2015   |   6:05 am
RESIDENTS and traders in Ekwulobia community, Aguata Local Council of Anambra state and environs yesterday took to the streets to protest reported arrival of 47 captured Boko Haram insurgents to the Nigeria Prisons Ekwulobia on Sunday night.

Boko-Haram-suspects4,000 more said to be on the way 

RESIDENTS and traders in Ekwulobia community, Aguata Local Council of Anambra state and environs yesterday took to the streets to protest reported arrival of 47 captured Boko Haram insurgents to the Nigeria Prisons Ekwulobia on Sunday night.

The protest , which one of the leaders, a trader, said may continue for as long as necessary, was because of information made available to them that 4, 000 of the detained insurgents were actually scheduled to arrive prisons in the state , including the newly completed Nnewi Prison.

Ekwulobia Prison was built for 85 inmates but at present has 135, before the arrival of the 47 Boko Haram suspects on Sunday. The traders and residents matched round major streets in the community carrying placards with inscriptions as: “Please save our state from Boko Haram insurgents”; “Ekwulobia doesn’t need Boko Haram prisoners”;

“Why Ekwulobia of all the towns, Why Anambra State of all the states”, “We don’t want to be scared of our own town” Is this the way to deal with Anambraa State for not voting for All Progressives Congress” and many others.

The protesting traders and residents in Ekwulobia and old Aguata and Orumba North and South local councils were joined by members of South East Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, (SEMATAS).

The President General of SEMATAS Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo and Coordinator South East Markets Amalgamated Traders Association Chief Gozie Akudolu, said people of South east zone had had enough trouble and did not need the extra burden of bringing captured terrorists in their midst.

Ezenwankwo said they had “confirmed that Boko Haram detainees were brought on Sunday 28 June night under tight security. “Our worry is that their friends will be visiting them in the prisons and they will be coming with all types of dangerous plans. Before you know it, we will be talking of jail beaks and if it happens we are in trouble.

“We know the antecedents of these heartless and blood thirsty insurgents. They do not have human sympathy and they killed a many Igbo traders resident in the North. Why are they being brought here, is it to come and remind us of what we are trying to forget? This is unacceptable to us” he said.

14 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Igbo should bear in mind that Nigeria is not for them and the early the know it and protect themself from this Northerners better for them.The secret War againt Igbo Nation has started.Igbo it is very sad that this northerners want to start another War with us
    but Biafran and Nigeria War of yesterday will be a child’s play to what the will see this time around.Let their foot soldier hit Igbo Land and let the real War start.Igbos be prepared it will not take longing.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Don’t worry educate them and wipe out the almajiri brain in their system and all will be well. Education is key winning battle on Islamic Terrorism. Get a copy of this book free at jreignss@yahoo.com or buy here https://www.amazon.com/Criterion-Muslim-Christian-Peace-C-Hore/dp/1507733488/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435736728&sr=8-4&keywords=c.n.hore

  • Author’s gravatar

    GMB Igbos know very well whom you are, you Northerners think Biafran can be subdue by sending Boko Haram detainees to South East ?We can identify ourselves Igbos? If it happens that South East is Bomb in any way that will be the End of this Nonesense Country called Nigeria because the War will consume Nigeria.Igbos were waiting for your Foot soldiers to start the written scripts from you Northerners.Nonesense . Marriage is not must.Nigeria is not a country period

    • Author’s gravatar

      Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what happen at your last attempt disintegrating nigeria!

      • Author’s gravatar

        Can you tell him how your intervention in preventing him from minding his own business has advanced the country? The easy part for you was to help destroy fiscal federalism via state creation and zero derivatives, and transfer of power to the North. The real task is filling the vacuum in power and governing properly. 47 years and counting, and that is yet to happen. Oh, the last time I checked, you were agitating for a return to the very system you helped to dismantle.

  • Author’s gravatar

    But apc previously denied the rumour.It is possible we are getting the most mischevious administration in nigeria.BUT there is still ample opportunity to act to avoid that label

  • Author’s gravatar

    The state govt is behind the protest.But what are the conditions of moving inmates and high risk ones like B.H.A more secured prison with maximum facilities should be a critical determinant.We should not play politics with everything.There is also a mind set that President Buhari is anti us ,coupled with the hate broadcast from Radio Biafra,u will expect this kind of reactions.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Clearly the security arrangements will be key to that decision if the Prison is of the Federal Government not of the State. However, the implications of this move is far reaching in its outlook. The population in the particular prion is full and spilling over. We are going to add to it, these hardened and murderous gang. Is this a compliment of sorts? It better not be, for the Igbos have been yelling for inclusion in the Federal distribution of Industrial establishments since Independence to no avail. This is left-handed, politically charged and of course, burdened with so many interpretations considering the mitigating circumstances. Whatever the reason anyway, the SECURITY provisions must be worked out with the Feds, the State and the Local administrators in the outfit to avoid unintended side-effects from the arrangements through the tiers of our Government.

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is clearly a most reckless , insensitive and incompetent action from the government. Democratic governments must respond to the sensitivities of the people who elected them. The least place to think of sending Boko Haram detainees should be a predominantly christian zone of South East. All SE governors must rise in unison to resist this transfer if they truly represent our people. If federal government cannot find where to put BH detainees in the moslem states where they were indoctrinated in the first place, then the should build a neutral prison like Guantanamo just like US government did for Al Qaeda detainees. Clearly, the level of incompetence that we are having to put up with from our leaders is just unbecoming.

  • Author’s gravatar

    The North cannot dump its own home-made poison on South-East You reap what you sow and if you don’t like what you sowed then you weed out yourselves and not transferring your danger to your neighbor. But a pronouncement by Anambra State Government on this matter is important, if indeed the story making rounds are true, otherwise, the Government still have a responsibility to dispel the rumors, so public peace and order are not breached or threatened.

  • Author’s gravatar

    How will you mix criminals with hardened, heartless criminals? There should be a special prison for terrorists. Imprisoning BH members in the SE is akin to inviting BH activities in SE, SS and SW. BH members should remain in the North East where they belong. My advise is for GMB to educate them in Islamic teachings through Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri languages since it is a religious problem.

  • Author’s gravatar

    They do not look like real human being , FG is trying to plant BK around the Nation , , they should be in Prison where they committed the Crime, or go and build special Housing for them, why North always impose things on other Nigeria , why ??
    Where is Edo Governor, and all others including Obasanjo to speak out , BOKO belongs to the North take them to Kano or Sokoto Prison dem you all ….

  • Author’s gravatar

    Southern Nigeria,

    These are the same BH that slaughtered you and chased you out of the North.
    Now, they’re on your playground, you should have them for dinner.

    Where is your strength?