Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Igbo youths under the guise of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has strongly condemned the gruesome murder of Hon. Okechukwu Okoye, the member representing Aguata 2 State Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Okechukwu Okoye.
The late lawmaker who was abducted last weekend by unknown gunmen, represented Governor Charles Soludo’s constituency.
COSEYL in a statement by its President, Goodluck Ibem, described the incident as abominable and very strange to the custom of Igbos.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline read in part: “The killing of the young man in his prime by yet to be identified gunmen is wicked, barbaric, villainous and senseless. No sane society will accept such act of wickedness perpetrated by these criminals . Something very urgent needs to be done immediately to put a stop to these ugly incidents in our land .
“The Killing of the lawmaker is a direct attack on the Igbo race and all hands must be on deck to ensure that perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book.”
COSEYL pointed accusing fingers at Igbo enemies, who according to him want to use the menace to elongate the detention of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“Of course the truth is, the enemies of Ndigbo hell-bent on bringing Ndigbo backwards are at work. These criminals wants to stop by all means the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from DSS custody in Abuja.
“The murder of the lawmaker representing Charles Soludo at the Anambra State House of Assembly is a direct message to the Governor that the don’t want him to work for the release of Nnamdi Kanu from DSS custody because his release will spoil their illicit business.
“The perpetrators and sponsors of the vicious attacks in Anambra State and South-East wants to scare investors from coming to invest and want to destroy all businesses in Igboland. These criminals are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and they are fully committed to perpetuate the evil.
“It is no longer time for us to fold our hands and complain about the insecurity that have been brought to our doorsteps. Now is the time for all stakeholders, businessmen and women, youths, traditional rulers, and all those who have the interest of their home at heart to rise up and defend their homes and communities. We must rise up in unity to defend our land against this terrorists and cannibals.
“We are afraid that if something urgent is not done to salvage our land from these enemies of Ndigbo, the will be serious economic crisis and hardship in Igboland as people who use to come to South East to do businesses will avoid coming here and will be going to other places to do their businesses.
“We call on the Governor Charles Soludo to immediately form “Anambra Youth Security Guard (AYSG)” and ensure that the security outfit is fully funded to secure and protect their communities because only the owner of the land knows his land better than a foreigner.
“It is very important now that the court will grant Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to access to address his supporters via media in other to calm down some frayed nerves in the zone.
“We call on security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous crime are arrested and brought to justice.”