We woke up yesterday to the sad news of the horrific murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili and about five other innocent Igbos in Anambra State. There were also reports, pictures and videos of arson, kidnapping, and other mindless and unwarranted terrorist acts in different parts of Igbo land in the last few days. The perpetrators of these terrorist acts which have unfortunately become recurring in Ala Igbo in the last seven months or thereabouts, especially, in the Southeast region, have become more daring in the last couple of days, with the harassment of innocent traders, commuters and other vulnerable citizens taking center stage, especially, around Anambra, Enugu and Imo States.
The terrorist attack in Nkpor, Anambra State becomes more pathetic when we consider that one of the victims, Dr. Chike Akunyili, is one of a kind, mentor, patriot, professional and the kind of Igbo, any young, responsible Igbo should aspire to become. Incidentally and more disheartening is the fact that he was trailed and killed by these hoodlums while reportedly returning from an event organized in honor of his dear wife; one of the brightest lights that had come out of Igbo land in recent times, Dr. Dora Akunyili, a former DG of NAFDAC; former Minister of Information and one of the most dogged fighters for Igbo political emancipation and Nigeria's prosperity that ever lived in our time.
Unfortunately, no matter how long we mourn or how much notes of Lamentation we string, Dr. Akunyili, like hundreds of innocent victims of the incipient terrorism in the Southeast, will never wake up from this untimely sleep he has been forced into. But, we owe him a fight to ensure that these hoodlums do not continue to walk free, no matter what pretences they make, or whatever ideologies they may claim to be advancing.
It is the duty of our security agencies to find out those who are behind these terrorist acts in the Southeast. It is disappointing that instead of doing this, they have rather been pushed into a position where they are now struggling to deny culpability in these killings. Nothing can be more embarrassing!
It is becoming clearer everyday that, there could be too many different criminal sects perpetrating these terrorist acts, yet none is ready to own up to them. This is where the essence of our intelligence agencies is mostly needed. They need to crack this and stop coming out with half guesses and cheerless permutations.
How do these people get the high calibre ammunition they use to perpetrate these crimes? How do they escape police and Army interception, when its obvious they travel many kilometers across the Southeast to strike their targets? Yet, we have police and Army checkpoints, almost every kilometer on Southeast roads? Are these checkpoints merely mounted to extort innocent motorists or to check crime? Is there something the security agents know that they are not telling us?
Who are those sponsoring these terror bandits to destroy Ala Igbo? Apparently, this not any form of Biafran agitation or freedom fighting. This is terrorism, not against the Nigerian State, but against Ala Igbo. No true Igbo who truly want the best for Ndigbo will visit terror on Ala Igbo. The security agencies should find out where the sponsors of these acts are hiding and bring them to book.
Who are their instigators? Who are those high-placed individuals giving justifications for such acts of terror, maybe, for political or whatever reasons? You cannot be serious about fighting terrorism if you are only interested in taking innocent, vulnerable or softer individuals into custody without trial while high-placed individuals are walking about free and continuing in their destructive rhetoric and or activities.
Hundreds of our people are in different detention facilities, but with the continued prevalence of these acts of terrorism, one could be correct to assume that majority of those in detention are either innocent or are loosely linked to the acts. The security agents should get to work and ensure that the real perpetrators are smoked out and dealt with according to our laws.
MAY ALA IGBO PREVAIL!
Onwuasoanya FCC Jones is the Acting National Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide - Youth Wing.
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