By Andy Asemota
The Senator representing Anambra Central, Uche Lilian Ekwunife, her Ekiti South counterpart, Biodun Olujimi, and others were extremely saddened yesterday by the dead bodies of 10 security operatives and three persons that littered Anambra and Ekiti States after criminal and unpatriotic elements’ rage last weekend.
Condemning the dastardly acts, the Senate directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice following separate motions by Ekwunife and Olujimi over the killings of security personnel across Anambra State on Thursday, 18th and Friday 19th March, 2021, and the election violence in Ekiti State.
The Red Chamber also urged the federal government to ensure the safety of electoral officials, security personnel and election materials, saying the country could not continue to lose them to hoodlums.
Recall that 20th March, 2021, State House of Assembly bye-election in Ekiti was disrupted when criminal and unpatriotic elements invaded some polling centre and snatched ballot boxes leaving a trail of blood and destruction.
“In the process, no fewer than three persons were feared dead and many others injured in Omuo Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State,” Olujimi lamented.
In her motion, Ekwunife also observed that “the security breakdown in the state (Anambra) has raised great tension as residents of Anambra were shocked by the boldness of such criminal elements and the murder of security personnel which had halted economic activities across the state.”
The Senator noted that on Thursday, 18th March, 2021, at about 4pm, three police personnel on patrol at Okacha Junction Neni, Anaocha LGA, besides the state magistrate court, Neni, were killed by gunmen, adding at a different location that same day, four personnel of the Nigerian Navy were gunned down probably by the same group.
Similarly, the following day, three personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Services escorting awaiting trial suspects to a court in Ekwulobia jurisdiction, Aguata LGA, of Anambra State, were gruesomely murdered, the Senate was informed.
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The Upper Chamber further heard that the state was witnessing a reoccurrence of past years when criminals operated freely, undermining national and local security framework and intelligence in the state.
