Umahi disbands Ebubeagu: On Friday, the government of Ebonyi State disbanded the South-East security organization commonly known as Ebubeagu.
Governor Dave Umahi disclosed that the Ebonyi House of Assembly already has a plan for the formation of two local security organizations. According to Umahi, the legal framework to replace Ebubeagu has been passed into law.
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Ebubeagu was disbanded on Tuesday by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The court stated that the dissolution was due to violations of human rights, extortion, illegal arrests, and the use of firearms.
Recall that Ebubeagu was established in 2021 by the governors of the five South-eastern states to aid in the fight against insecurity in the region, which has seen deadly attacks linked to the Biafra agitation of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
However, the security force has been accused of extrajudicial killings, such as the tragic July 2022 incident in which several Imo youths returning from a wedding were shot dead at close range.
On Friday, during an expanded security meeting in Abakaliki, Governor Umahi stated that Ebubeagu will not operate in Ebonyi State until the Stay of Execution is granted and an appeal is filed.
He added, “This is in accordance with the rule of law and respect for our judiciary, which I have a great deal of respect for, whether the verdict is good or bad for our people.”
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The Governor continued, “However, it must be noted that just about a month ago, another court of equal jurisdiction issued a ruling prohibiting anyone from disbanding Ebubeagu.
This means that I have two rulings on the same subject, and if I were not a fan of the judiciary, I could choose which one to follow. However, I have chosen to follow the later ruling that Ebubeagu should not function.
“Therefore, for the time being, Ebubeagu should not function while we process the Stay of Execution and appeal filed at Enugu; once granted, Ebubeagu will resume functioning.
“Allow me to thank the House of Assembly for passing into law another two groups of vigilantes for Ebonyi State, whose process began in 2021 but was graciously passed a few days ago, namely Ebonyi State Neighbourhood Watch.
“Let me state that we have had this Neighbourhood Watch since 2015, and they have performed exceptionally well, so the law has been reinstated and they are authorized to operate.”
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