AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
EBONYI State Security Council, on Thursday, banned all social activities in the state beyond 6pm, including wake service.
The Council said anybody who allowed any social activity in the state beyond 6pm would pay a fine of N1 million.
This was disclosed just as the state government directed all native doctors and traditional medicine dealers to register, within seven days, with the Commissioner for Border Peace, Commissioner for Health and Commissioner of Police.
Two soldiers, a policeman and a civilian were killed by gunmen in different parts of the state on Monday night, necessitating an emergency Council meeting at the New Government House, Centenary City, on Wednesday.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Governor David Umahi said a lot of hoodlums’ activities happened during the night.
Umahi condemned the increase in fake news in the state, especially the one that led to schools’ closure, on Wednesday, following a rumour that herdsmen were killing school children in Abakaliki, the state capital.
He said, “We have agreed that all native doctors in the state and traditional medicine dealers must within seven days from today register with the Commissioner for Border Peace, with the Commissioner for Health and with the Commissioner of Police. There will be executive order to this effect and anyone that is caught doing otherwise will be arrested and will be prosecuted.
“We are aware that there were some killings over the weekend; a policeman was killed, two Army men were killed and I think one civilian, and their killers are pure bandits. They do these killings and put it in social media that they are members of IPOB or ESN. Without standing for either IPOB or ESN, they continue to deny that they are not into violence.”
“But for me, criminality is criminality and I have directed security agencies to crackdown on all criminal activities in the state. And for those who did the killings, the security agencies must bring them to book within 72 hours,” the Governor added.
“We have directed that all wake keeps in the state must end by 6pm and the local government chairmen, security agents and Ebubeagu must enforce this. All social activities must end by 6pm. When you defy this order, you will pay a minimum of N1 million because a lot of hoodlums’ activities happen during this wake keep going into the night,” he stated.
