Giving the unabating insecurity in the Southeast region, the Igbo women have called on the Federal Government to withdraw the soldiers deployed to the region. The women maintained that notwithstanding the numerous army checkpoints scattered in the region insecurity is still going on unhindered.
They stated that the army check points were constituting more problems than solving them.
According to the women, the soldiers were more interested in extorting money from motorists and harassing commuters against what they were assigned to do.
The women, while making this call under the aegis of National Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, noted with regret the humiliation of commuters on the roads by the soldiers. They noted that commuters are forced to disembark from their vehicles and walk cross the checkpoints on foot before rejoining their vehicles.
“The sick and elderly are not exempted,” the women said.
The women lamented why such humiliating practice should be seen only in the Southeast. And wondered what offence the Igbo have committed to be subjected to such humiliation by soldiers in the region.
Speaking to journalists in Enugu the President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie decried such development. She wondered why the soldiers sent to the Southeast to tackle insecurity have literally abandoned their mission. They now engage in extortion and humiliation of the people of the region.
She described as embarrassing that criminals would attack and abduct people at points not far from some of these checkpoints. And yet the criminals would not be apprehended by the army.
“Since they have failed to secure the people they were asked to protect, we demand that the Federal Government withdraws them immediately. The police should be encouraged to protect the people. This is because they are more approachable than soldiers who are always harsh on the people, irrespective of the age.”
In a related development, IWA frowned at the recent ethnic campaign and hate speech by some elements in Lagos. IWA wondered why the people behind the anti-Igbo ethnic campaign and hate speech have not been arrested by the Government.
“IWA noted with pains why people who threatened and even attacked Igbo in the same Lagos and those currently championing ethnic hatred against Igbo are walking freely. And we wondered what offence Igbo committed in Nigeria to be so badly treated,” the woman lamented.
source: Vanguard
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