Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi has revealed that a South-East regional security outfit is in the pipeline and would soon be unveiled.
According to the governor, the move is part of efforts by governors and leaders of the region to combat insecurity in the region.
Umahi, who is the chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, spoke at the end of a state security council meeting in Ebonyi where he noted that sample uniforms have already been bought for the outfit and operational vehicles and personnel will soon be unveiled in a few weeks once finishing touches are concluded.
He added that to boost security in the state and region, his own security aides, as well as those of other governors in the region, are being retrained to combat mischievous plans been sponsored by political opponents.
The Governor vowed that no one will be allowed to portray the state or region in bad light.
In his words: “Southeast governors have had a series of meetings on security. We are presently circulating samples of uniforms which is going to be common for the entire zone. We also have on display, vehicles that will also be common for the entire Southeast.
“We have arranged for the training and retraining of all the security outfits of the governors in the southeast.
“In a few weeks to come, we are going to roll out these uniforms and vehicles to further deepen our efforts in security architecture in the entire Southeast.
“The security outfit is going to have one name. The governors and leaders of Southeast will meet and they will come up with the name. The most critical are the vehicles and uniforms.”
This development is coming a few weeks after the governors and leaders of the region rejected the regional security outfit named Eastern Security Network (ESN) set up by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The IPOB leader lamented that bandits and some other criminals are terrorizing their region, hence the need to set up ESN to protect the people and inhabitants of the region.
According to him, criminals and terrorists who have turned the region into their operating ground will be dealt with by the new security outfit.
The formation of a new security outfit in the South-East by the IPOB leader was condemned by elders from the region under the aegis of Conference of Igbo Elders for Peace and Development.
The elders in its statement called on Governors in the region and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to stand against the IPOB outfit.
South-East Governors were also asked to create a security outfit similar to Amotekun which is in the South West.
The elders described the security outfit as illegal asking the governors to immediately move against the action.
Kanu however retorted as he lashed out at governors and leaders of the South-East region, saying the IPOB security network will function without their support.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday ordered the redeployment of 21 Commissioners of Police to new commands and formations.
The Deputy spokesman of the force, CSP Aremu Adeniran, noted that the redeployments of the commissioners is with immediate effect.
