The Governor of
Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, on Thursday explained why the planned protest by
traders against the relocation of some Boko Haram suspects to Anambra State did
not hold in the state.
He told journalists
during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in Abakaliki that since the
suspects had already been taken to Abuja, the protest was unnecessary.
He said, “The
traders have the right to protest but there was no need for the protest because
we (South-East governors) had enjoined the Federal Government not to relocate
any Boko Haram prisoner to any prison in the South-East. Those suspects brought
to Anambra State have been taken back to Abuja.
“The state
decided against the protest for the reason that the governors of the region had
intimated the Presidency on their opinion on the matter, and so no need for
anyone to encourage people of the state to take to the streets.”
Umahi said that
risking the lives of the people of the state on the streets was not the best.
It was gathered
that the planned protest by the traders was expected to take place
simultaneously across the five states of the South-East.
The traders in
Abakaliki, according to sources, were expected to convene at the Abakpa main
market at about 8am.
They were to
march round the state capital before converging at the Government House gate
where Umahi was also expected to address them.
It was observed
that riot mobile policemen had taken over the market to prevent the traders
from embarking on the protest and to avert possible breakdown of law and order
in the state.
When contacted,
the Police Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, said that the command had to
beef up security on major roads and locations of the state to avert any
possible breakdown of law and order.
He said, “We got
wind of plans by traders in Abakaliki markets to stage a peaceful protest over
what they alleged as relocation of persons suspected to be Boko Haram members
to some prisons in the South-East. We had to mobilise our men immediately to
major roads and locations in the state to avert any breakdown of law and order.
“Part of our
responsibility is to ensure the security of lives and properties of the
citizenry. We envisaged that hoodlums may take advantage of the protest to
disrupt the peace of the state especially now that the election petition
tribunal is sitting in the state capital. We don’t want people to loot peoples’
properties in the name of peaceful protest, so we had to mobilise our men.”
Meanwhile, the
Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr. John Lebo, on Thursday
said the state would resist any attempt to send Boko Haram suspects to prison
facilities in the state.
Lebo said this in
Calabar during his maiden press briefing with journalists.
The Speaker, who
was reacting to a question on the recent public outcry over the relocation of
Boko Haram suspects to a prison facility in Anambra State, said the Federal
Government should not contemplate sending Boko Haram suspects to any prison
facility in Cross River State.
He said
emphatically that the state could not accommodate the suspects.
There are no
fewer than six prisons sited in different locations including Calabar, Adim,
Obubra, Ogoja and Obudu.
Lebo said, “We
will resist relocation of Boko Haram suspects to Calabar Prisons or any other
one in the state.”
He reiterated the
assembly’s commitment towards making good laws that would impact positively on
the lives of the citizens.
Lebo, who
represents Abi state constituency in the House, also underscored the need for a
robust relationship between the legislature and the executive, this he said,
would help in deepening democracy in the country