Why South-East governors established Ebube Agu – Ikpeazu

By our reporter| Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, on Sunday explained why the Southeast region launched its own joint security outfit codenamed EBUBE AGU.

Ikpeazu who made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said the new security outfit would oversee and monitor the activities of vigilante groups in the region.

“Today we have come together to synergise and see how best we can protect lives and properties of citizens within this geopolitical zone,” he said.

“Security situation across Nigeria as it is today is dynamic. We are just trying to respond to our peculiar circumstances in the southeast.”

When asked if the new security outfit would bear arms and wear uniforms, Ikpeazu only explained that he and his colleagues from Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu would cooperate to ensure that operatives of EBUBE AGU would be properly equipped.

“Ebube Agu would be a security outfit both in name, purpose, and action. It will be properly equipped. I want to assure you that all the states in the southeast already has various vigilante outfits.

“In Abia, we call our own ‘the Homeland Security outfit.’ In Enugu, it is called the Forest Guards. But we want to call for a harmonised synergised system of action to be able to compare notes to be able to set up digital platforms that can respond to communication challenges,” he added.

Speaking further, Ikpeazu said the new outfit would be rural-based, adding “it is also going to be intelligence-based.

The Abia state governors’ remarks came hours after governors from the South East established a security outfit called EBUBE AGU as part of plans to checkmate the rising unrest in the region, stemming from an increase in criminal activities.

According to a communique put out by governors of the Southeast and by its chairman, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, the agency is to oversee and monitor the activities of vigilante groups in the region.