Outrage over Boko Haram rises, more states evacuate indigenes

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Headlines, National Politics Thursday, July 14th, 2011

THE tension generated in the northern part of the country by the violent activities of Boko Haram continued yesterday to draw condemnation amid efforts by state governments to evacuate their indigenes from Borno State.

Ekiti, Imo and Abia were among states that expressed their intentions to evacuate their indigenes in Borno yesterday while the Rivers House of Assembly urged the state government to do the same thing.

But going beyond the condemnation of the group, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang alleged yesterday that the members of the body had penetrated the nation’s security system.

Jang who was speaking as the guest of honour at the commissioning of a new fish feed plant by the Grand Cereals Limited in Jos, regretted that the easy penetration by the sect members of the security system was made possible because Nigeria did not keep records of convicted criminals. He suggested that security agencies in the country should overhaul their organisations and flush out bad elements.

The governor said the security challenges in the country continued because the hoodlums had their members among the security personnel of the nation. Jang said the youths who were said to be the leaders of tomorrow were not responsible enough, advising them to desist from being used to cause violence, or being used for killing people.

“What future do the youths want to have if they do not change their way? These youths are not prepared to take over from us because we are teaching them violence, hatred and all other social vices, ” Jang lamented.

The Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, commended the efforts of the Federal Government in the use of military and other relevant agencies to check the insurgency of Boko Haram.

At a media briefing in Lagos yesterday on the state of the nation, Makinde noted that if nothing was done to bring the situation under control, it would endanger the national unity, heat up the polity and drive away local and foreign investments and also dash the hope of Nigeria for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

He said the world would only take Nigeria seriously if the Federal Government was ready to guarantee human rights, gender equality, safety of lives and property, religious tolerance, and provision of basic human needs and strict adherence to constitutional democracy, true federalism and respect for rule of law.

He called on the intelligence agencies to always take seriously information pointing towards criminal activities in the country.

Governor Kayode Fayemi ordered the evacuation of Ekiti students following the worsening security situation in Borno.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said Fayemi was deeply concerned about the security of Ekiti students studying in Borno State hence the need to carry out the evacuation.

The statement revealed that the first batch of about 50 Ekiti students who are mostly students of tertiary institutions in Borno State left Maiduguri earlier yesterday for the long journey to Ado-Ekiti.

Arrangements have also been concluded to bring home the second batch of Ekiti indigenes as state officials are making efforts to establish links with the remaining students in the north-eastern state for their onward journey to their home state.

“The governor is concerned about the situation in Borno State and he is particularly concerned on the plight of students and other indigenes of the state resident in Borno State.

“This is our modest effort to save the lives of our kith and kin who are trapped in the precarious situation in Borno State.

“We urge Ekiti indigenes living in various parts of the country to be security-conscious and not to exercise any fear in pursuit of their legitimate businesses as everything possible will be done to protect them”, the statement said.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State approved immediate evacuation of students of Imo State origin from Borno State.

According to a statement on Wednesday in Owerri by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Chinedu Offor, the governor directed the state Commissioner for Housing, Transport and Public Utilities, Chief Ejike Uche to carry out the order.

The statement assured parents and guardians, including those concerned over the safety of their wards, urging Imo people to remain peaceful as the Boko Haram issue was being handled by the Federal Government.

Boko Haram is an Islamic fundamentalist group pursuing the doctrine of hatred for western form of civilisation with the force of arms, including bombs, to propagate the mission.

An undisclosed number of buses has been dispatched to Maiduguri to evacuate Abia State indigenes from the University of Maiduguri.

In a statement by Mr. Bonnie Iwuoha, the Media Adviser to Governor Theodore Orji, indigenes of the state everywhere were assured of the governor’s resolve to protect their interests at all times.

He advised those residing outside the state to remain calm and not panic as “the state government is monitoring events and developments in the areas they reside.”

According to the adviser, the governor restated his belief in the unity of the country and therefore urged those fomenting trouble to have a re-think and maintain peace needed for the development of the country.

The Rivers State House of Assembly tasked the government to evacuate the Rivers community in Borno State and that the Federal Government should deploy more security agencies to curb the activities of Boko Haram.

Similarly, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has criticised the State Security Services (SSS) decision not to prosecute the over 100 Boko Haram members recently arrested in connection with the police headquarters’ bombing in Abuja.

The Speaker of the Rivers legislature, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree, disclosed the resolution following a motion moved by the member representing Khana Constituency I, Mr. Legborsi Nwidadah, asking for the evacuation of Rivers students and all other citizens of the state in Borno State.

Nwidadah explained that he had received several telephone calls from anxious Rivers students at the University of Maiduguri, begging to be evacuated.

According to him, due to the deplorable security situation in Borno State, even the Director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Marahazu Tsiga has ordered the redeployment of corps members posted there.

On his part, the House Leader, Chidi Lloyd, who described the motion as timely, stressed that no responsible government would watch and see her citizens being destroyed, thus the need for Rivers State to take urgent steps to save her citizens.

The Speaker, Amachree who read out the resolution of the lawmakers said: “The House has resolved that the Rivers State government should take urgent steps and ensure the evacuation of Rivers people from Borno State until such a time when peace returns in the state. The Federal Government should also make sure that peace returns to the area soon.”

-Sunwp_posts