Awka – Lawyers in Anambra State on Monday, staged a protest in the Awka, the State Capital, against the rising insecurity across parts of the state.
Last week, a member of the NBA in the state and President-General of Omor Community in Ayamelum Local Government Area, Francis Onwuachi was kidnapped along Ayamelum road and his body was later found in a forest days after.
The legal practitioners, in their hundreds, under the aegis of Nigerian Bar Association, began the protest at the Anambra State Judiciary Headquarters, Awka, from where they marched to main gate of Anambra State Government House, Awka.
Speaking before presenting an official communique to the Secretary to the Government of Anambra State, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the state government, the Chairman of all the NBA branch chairmen in Anambra State, Mr Onyechi Ononye, said they now live in fear due to the issue of insecurity which has swept through the state.
He said lawyers in the state can no longer go to court due to the high rate of security challenges in the state.
He called on the governor to immediately deploy security operatives to courts and other parts of the state to secure the lives and property of their members.
According to him, the state government must rejig the security architecture in the state to protect the lives of innocent citizen in the state.
“We are here to express our displeasure over the worsening security situation in the state.
“Our member was kidnapped and killed the other day by unknown gunmen. Some security formations were attacked and an operative was killed while their weapons were carted away.
“We cannot travel to courts because of the challenging security situation, it is getting worse every day.
“We are here to tell the governor about the security situation in the state, all the chairmen and secretaries of the branches in Anambra are here,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the state governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, said it is sad that the rate of killings in the state has become alarming but was quick to add that government has put in place measures to stem insecurity in the state.
According to him, Anambra State has the record of being the safest state in the country and called on all to take up the challenges.
He said what had happened in the last week was a wake-up call to all in the state.
“Security is everyone’s business, you in the NBA, the various communities in the state, let us join hands together and fight it.
“Security is not just the government business alone, everybody must do something to ensuring that a good security network in the state is improved,” he said.
He also disclosed that a joint security task force has moved into action to ensure that such a deadly act does not happen again, adding that the community vigilante groups, as well as leaders of town unions, have been briefed on what to do.
