By Elochukwu Ohagi,
Philosopher, Teacher And Activist, 2022.
After the event of yesterday, where members of Ebubeagu opened fire on Igbo youths coming back from traditional wedding kîlling 14 at a straight, I started making enquiries as to understand this group called Ebubeagu and at least make an inroad into their activities.
I wondered why Imo State governor will lie to people about who kîlled those boys. The governor has told News men that members of DSS were the ones that kîlled those boys. He went further to say that those boys are bandits and are in no way coming back from traditional wedding. Looking at both pictures and videos of the slain boys, nothing showed that they are bandits. Among them is a 13 year old. We know that the governor lied, but the question is why? Why is the governor covering Ebubeagu? We will try to do justice to this question, as we try to unravel the activities of Ebubeagu in Imo state.
How Did Ebubeagu Came About?
Ebubeagu Security Network (ESN) is a counter security outfit established by the governors of South East against IPOB Eastern Security Network (ESN). After South West governors established Amotekun to protect the Yoruba people against the marauding Fulanii herdsmen terrorists who are notorious in kîlling and kidnapping of indigenous people, the Eastern Governors told the world that South East don't need local security. After Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) wrote to them about the need to establish a security outfit whose duty will be to protect Easterners, they refused. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu went on to establish Eastern Security Network, whose duty is to mount the bushes against the Fulanii herdsmen terrorists.
After the establishment of ESN by the IPOB leader, South East governors who earlier stated that South East don't need such security hurriedly established what they called Ebubeagu. At first it seemed to be an Ebonyi thing, until Imo State governor adopted it. According to the information I got Ebubeagu is domiciled in the 27 local government of Imo state, and they are well funded.
Ebubeagu Recruitment
According to the information I got, most of the Ebubeagu recruits in Imo state are non indigenes. It is only few that are indigenes of Imo state. These indigenes are always on mask. They cover their faces to avoid being known or traced by the people. Others that came from other places don't mind covering their faces.
The major supplier of Ebubeagu personnels is alleged to be Mr Asari Dokubo, an ex militant, who rode on the pains of his people to enrich himself. According to my source, he has supplied lots of people from Rivers state and Bayelsa to join Ebubeagu in Imo state. An Ebubeagu recruit is said to be receiving salary between 150,000 to 300,000 Naira per month. It is a lucrative venture to join Ebubeagu and these youths find it mouth watering. In a country where graduates on national youth service are getting 33,000 Naira per month, you can now understand what it means to be receiving 150k for a start.
Activities Of Ebubeagu In Imo State
Ebubeagu activities in Imo state is unreported, as most victims of Ebubeagu don't normally come home to tell their story. Also, there are no much writers in Imo state willing to document the atrocities of Ebubeagu. Most youths in Imo state that are using social media are mostly political jobbers who have zero integrity. An example to this was the time Gov Emeka Ihedioha of PDP was deposed by the corrupt supreme Court judge, and Hope Uzodimma declared winner. Almost all the youths that have been writing for Ihedioha all decamped and joined APC in defence of hope. This attitude of Imo state youths contributed to non reportage of the atrocities being committed by Ebubeagu in Imo state. They can't be supporting politicians and write about the atrocities of Ebubeagu, knowing that it will annoy their paymasters.
When I made a call to someone staying in Imo state, he told me that a lot has been happening. Things more heinous than the kîlling of those 14th boys. According to him, the only reason this one made News was because they weren't able to carry the bodies. Had it been the bodies of those youths were successfully carried away by them, no one would have talked about them. They will simply count them as missing persons.
According to him, having a mark or a tattoo in Imo state is a death warrant. He narrated a story of a young girl that drew a tattoo on top side of her breast. She was in company of a young man. Ebubeagu recruits caught her at Nkwu ito and shot her on both legs. They said he is a bad girl.
People I talked to told me that Ebubeagu members kîll anyhow. It is like they have license to kîll whenever they want. Another told me that Ebubeagu will first take their victim to ATM, withdraw all the person got in his account before wasting the person. Members of Ebubeagu are said to be going to International Market Orlu to sell phones of their victims. Those phones are flashed and resold by the buyers.
Ebubeagu has many places they dispose the bodies of their victims. I heard that the back of Orlu local government has been turned into burial ground. The entire place have turned red due to the constant digging of red sands for the burial of their victims. After emptying the bank accounts of their victims, Ebubeagu will kîll and dispose their bodies.
Close to St Mary's Hospital Umuowa, there is a borrow pit said to be at the Umuowa junction leading to Owereberi, Eziachi and Umuzike, that place is were I was told members of Ebubeagu are dumpling the bodies of their victims. Another place they dump the bodies of those they kîlled is in Mgbee Road in Ideato South. There is a borrow pit there, and people said passers-by will always perceive the odour oozing out from there.
Ebubeagu has kîlled hundreds of people. Should the activities of Ebubeagu under the present APC led Imo State government be investigated, many things will be uncovered. I hope a day will come when they will be investigated and their victims served justice. Some how, the government will do everything within their power to cover up the atrocities of Ebubeagu, reason they are telling lies about who kîlled those boys.
Nothing can properly describe the actions of Ebubeagu better than terrorism.
Elochukwu Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher And Activist, 2022.
