By Roland Ike, Abakaliki
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has suspended the activities of the Ebubeagu (Lion’s glory) security outfit due to a recent high court judgment and inaugurated two new vigilante outfits in the state.
It will be recalled that a federal high court sitting in Abakaliki recently disbanded the Ebubeagu security outfit, ruling that its operations in Ebonyi were illegal.
Governor David Umahi, in a state wide broadcast, said that stay of execution and appeal processes had commenced to quash the court’s judgement.
Umahi said that operations of the security outfit had been suspended and that two new vigilante outfits had been formed.
“The Ebubeagu security outfit will not function in the state until the stay of execution is granted and appeal entered.
“This is in obedience to the rule of law and whether it is good or bad for our people, it is the court’s judgement,”
The governor said that a judgement from a court of equal jurisdiction had a month ago, restrained anyone from disbanding the outfit.
“This means that I have two judgements on the same subject as the second one shouldn’t had been due to an earlier decision on it.
“I could have chosen which one to obey if I were not a lover of the judiciary but has chosen to obey the latter.
“When the stay of execution is granted, Ebubeagu will function again,”
He thanked the state House of Assembly for passing into law, two sets of vigilante outfits which processes, according to him, commenced since 2021.
“These outfits are the Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch patterned after a similar one in Anambra State and the Ebonyi vigilante corps patterned after Amotekun, in the South West geo-political zone.
“When Ebubeagu returns, they all should not infringe on the rights of the citizens.
“None of them will be involved in the forthcoming general election and the public must note this,”
Umahi called on political parties in the state to carry out their activities with decorum and not heat up the polity as the elections approach.
The broadcast was preceded by a security meeting between the governor and heads of security agencies in the state.
