Youths in Imo State under the aegis of Orluzurumee Youth Assembly, OYA, has accused vigilante groups in Orlu zone of indulging in extra judicial killing, maiming and unlawful arrest and detention of innocent youths.
The group made the accusation through its president, Prince Izunna Obiefule while attending a security summit organized by Amnesty International in Enugu State.
At the summit organized to ascertain level of attack and unlawful killings in the southeast region, the Youth leader revealed that, Orsu, Orlu, Oru West and other LGAs within the zone are the most affected by the extra judicial killings.
He said while the atrocities were being meted out on the hapless innocent villagers, government and regular security agencies do not do much to monitor the activities of those vigilante groups, especially those established by the government.
Obiefule urged the authorities to rise and caution the vigilante to stop being reckless and hostile to the villages, adding that such unregulated community policing is very inimical to the already porous insecurity situation in the state.
He urged the government to adequately equip security agencies to enable them combat crime and insecurity to a standstill and restore security, peace and comfort in the state, particularly in Orlu Senatorial Zone.
The Youth leader added that adequate fighting equipment and operational vehicles will strengthen security agencies to be proactive in fighting criminals who he said also use sophisticated arms and ammunition to unleash mayhem on the peoplqe.
Frowning at what he termed unlawful arrest, long detentions, maiming and killing of law-abiding citizens, Obiefule called on government to punish any security agent, Police, Army or Vigilante who goes contrary to the law in the cause of discharging their duties.
“Orlu Senatorial Zone is the worst hit of the insecurity situation in Imo State. The Police and the Judiciary should rise and caution the excesses of some security agents including the vigilante outfits. It is a thing out of place that law-abiding youths are being dehumanized and killed on daily basis in Orlu, Orsu, Oru West and Oru East especially”.
“Security agents should be professional in dealing with the insecurity situation so that innocent people and their property would not be destroyed as violations of human rights in South East have grown beyond control”, he said.
