In Ebonyi, the Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth in Ohaukwu local government area has expressed deep concern over what seemed like endless destruction of lives and property by armed hoodlums in the state.
The youth's anxiety ensued when the unknown gunmen attacked the hotel belonging to the Ohaukwu council chairman, Prince Ikechukwu Odono last Sunday night. The armed hoodlums murdered one person and razed down over seven vehicles in the council chairman's hotel at Ezzamgbo.
The body noted that the attack came a few days after a similar incident occurred at Hilltop Road in Abakaliki, which has continued to raise much concern and fear in the state.
According to a press release by George Umeh, the Publicity Secretary of the group, the attack on the hotel occurred a few weeks after the invasion at Ngbo Court where a woman security personnel was gruesomely murdered.
Umeh explained that another attack occurred along Ezzamgbo-Ngbo road where a police officer was shot dead and set ablaze.
The unfortunate episodes which happened after "the the heartless killing of Louis, a POS operator at his residence, Onu-Orie Izhia makes this recent attack more worrisome."
The youth, however, demanded an urgent and coordinated intelligent investigation and surveillance that would lead to the quick arrest of these nocturnal marauders to bring normalcy to the land.
Their Spokesman observed: "A situation where the criminals invaded the hotel located at the centre of the Local Government headquarters, operated freely for up to an hour as reported by eyewitnesses and left the scene of operation successfully unhurt and unchallenged is a big pointer to a bigger problem than we know it.
“We call on the security agencies to activate a rapid response to incidences of this nature and show more presence in the Council as we also call on all stakeholders to rise to the occasion especially as it is now clear that the hoodlums have no sacred cows.
“Let this be a wake-up call to everybody without exception. We must be willing to unitedly call a spade a spade and publicly condemn evils like cultism, bloodshed and other vices in our land to get rid of these menaces. Ohaukwu is the land of God and should not be turned into a bloody land in our own time.”
He said, the Amalgamated Ngboejeogu strongly condemned the gunmen attacks, saying that their attention has ‘again drawn to the heinous act of gun attack by men of the underworld on a hotel at Ezzamgbo, belonging to the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area in the night of Sunday, 10th March 2024, where a life was reportedly lost, and several vehicles burnt down.”
Umeh noted that several attempts were made by the attackers to raze down the hotel completely but to no avail.
“We strongly condemn this bloody attack in its entirety and call on those whose stock in trade is to continually keep the society in panic by attacking institutions and individuals with guns and other dangerous weapons, to drop their guns and allow peace to reign.
“The Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth commiserates with the Council Chairman, Hon. Ikechukwu Odono, the family of the dead victim, the hotel management, the Izhia clan and the entire people of Ohaukwu Local Government Area over this ugly and unwarranted incident.
“To say the least, the attack coming a few days after a similar attack was reported at Hilltop Road in Abakaliki is raising much concern and fear. For the attack to have occurred a few weeks after the attacks at Ngbo Court where a woman security personnel was gruesomely murdered, another one along Ezzamgbo-Ngbo road where a police officer was shot dead and set ablaze and the heartless killing of Louis, a POS operator at his residence, Onu-Orie Izhia makes this recent attack more worrisome.
“Again, the courage mustered by the hoodlums this time to invade and attack a hotel belonging to the Chief Security Officer of the Local Government is a clear indication that we are all at equal risk. Nobody is free.
“The Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth therefore reiterates her usual concerns for the safety of lives and property of people in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
