By Titus Eleweke
Human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has raised the alarm over growing security threats in Ala-Igbo, urging the Department of State Services (DSS) to dismantle kidnapping networks, expose their sponsors and secure forests allegedly used as criminal hideouts.
Ejiofor made the call in his Weekend Musings titled “The Gathering Storm Over Ala-Igbo: The NYSC Kidnap Mystery, Fulani Terror Suspects and the Dangers Lurking in Our Forests.”
He said the reported abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State should serve as a warning to security agencies and political leaders about the need to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes in the South-East.
While commending security operatives for their efforts in securing the corps members’ release, Ejiofor called for credible explanations regarding the circumstances surrounding the rescue, including disputed allegations of ransom payment that the police have denied.
He explained that his primary concern was the broader security implications of the incident and the need to prevent further attacks on residents and travellers.
The lawyer urged DSS Director-General, Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, to go beyond arresting suspected perpetrators and use intelligence to identify those allegedly financing, equipping and supporting criminal groups.
“My appeal to DSS Director-General is simple: do not stop at arrests,” he said, warning that leaving criminal sponsors, operational bases and supply networks untouched could allow kidnapping to continue.
Ejiofor also renewed his concerns about armed groups allegedly operating from forests, warning that vulnerable communities, farmers and road users could face increasing danger if the authorities failed to act decisively.
He called for investigations into reports of alleged violent incursions and displacement in Ukpaka and Mbanano communities in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, including allegations of abuse against women and girls.
He urged the Enugu State Government and security agencies to investigate the claims, protect affected residents and prosecute anyone found responsible.
Ejiofor further called for the enforcement of anti-open-grazing laws where applicable, insisting that nobody should be above the law. However, he cautioned against blaming entire ethnic groups for crimes allegedly committed by individuals.
“Culpability belongs to the perpetrators and their collaborators, not to people who share their ancestry,” he said.
Warning that insecurity could spread further if emerging threats were ignored, Ejiofor urged authorities to adopt sustained, intelligence-led and lawful security operations while protecting innocent citizens from arbitrary arrests and ethnic profiling.
He expressed hope that the operation to rescue the abducted corps members would mark the beginning of a broader campaign to dismantle kidnapping networks, secure vulnerable communities and restore public confidence.
“Ala-Igbo is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, and the fuse may already be burning,” he warned, calling for urgent preventive action to protect lives, property and ancestral communities.
Tags: #AnambraNews #Security #NYSC
