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By Madu Obi
Lawyers under the aegis of the Nigeria Bar Association in Anambra State have given the state government one month to fish out the killers of the Vice Chairman of NBA Ihiala branch, P.eter Awa.
Awa, who was the secretary of Okija Progressive Union, OPU, and a state counsel in the Ministry of Justice, was killed at Eke Umudioka, Okija, very close to his house on May 19th, 2024.
Speaking during a protest by the eight branches of NBA in the state over what they described as the heightened insecurity in the state, the chairman of the committee of lawyers and secretaries of NBA, Izuchukwu Nsofor said NBA would take the next line of action to checkmate government's failure to restore safety and security in the state.
He recalled that in the past few weeks, lawyers have either been kidnapped or killed, with the security operatives doing nothing to secure the people.
Nsofor, who is also the chairman of Ihiala branch of NBA.condemned the killing of Awa, who was also a state counsel in the Ministry of Justice and urged government to take measures to unmask the killers and bring them to justice.
According to him, insecurity in the state had led to the kidnap and killing of Barrister Jude Oguejiofor from Orsumoghu in Ihiala local government area, attempted kidnap of Barrister Collins Chima and the abduction of the publicity secretary of Idemili branch of NBA, Chukeubuikem Azoro, who has been in the kidnapper's den since March.
Nsofor also noted that a priest with the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Fr.. Gbulue was a victim of abduction, although he was later freed.
"Our colleagues have been on the receiving end and as social engineers, lawyers have a duty to serve as bridge between the government and the masses. We therefore demand for accountability of policing and security of lives and property of the citizens.
"NBA cannot keep quiet in the face of seeming total collapse of security and failure of the state government to protect lives and property of the citizenry," Nsofor said.
He said the peaceful protest by NBA was to draw government's attention to the worrisome situation, stating that no fewer than 60 souls, mostly future leaders of the country, have been lost to crimes and criminality in IIhiala local government area alone and demanded increased efforts to fight crime in the state.
Responding, Governor Chukwuma Soludo appreciated the lawful and peaceful nature of the protest by the lawyers, stating that the government is not sleeping over the security threats inherent in kidnappings, cult-related killings and other crimes in the state.
The governor, who was representedby his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim dismissed the tag of existence of unknown gunmen, observing that the criminals' homes are known, given spate of tracking that revealed their communities and places of abode.
He described security as a collective responsibility, assuring that government would establish a synergy with the NBA to find solution to the security problems in re state.
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