34 killed in cult-related clashes within one month in Awka: Lawmaker
Henry Mbachu, representing Awka South I in the Anambra House of Assembly, said that from Easter Sunday till date, 34 persons have been gunned down.
He said that the action is worrisome and disclosed that he plans to hold a security summit within his constituency on May 29 and urged all to be part of the summit.
The lawmaker gave this indication in an interview with journalists Awka on Monday.
Mr Mbachu, a Labour Party (LP) legislator, said that in a space of one month 34 lives have been wasted in Awka and its environs in the name of cultism.
He said the crime needs to be discussed at a round table where “we will all brainstorm to proffer solutions that will be submitted to the government.
“The summit will throw up suggestions that will help in ending cult killings.
“It looks like these cultists have overwhelmed the state apparatus charged with law enforcement and security services,” he bemoaned..
He appealed to traditional and community leaders, faith-based organisations, and youths in the constituency to take ownership of their lives and kill the cultism menace.
“As your representative in the state assembly, I am pained about the rate of killings in the name of cultism and wish to find a permanent solution.
“We must separate cultism from crime as the presence of many security outfits, the construction of gates in all the villages and business areas have not been able to end the high wave of cult killings,” he said.
Mr Mbachu disclosed that the state legislature has passed the anti-cultism bill which is awaiting the ascent of the governor, Charles Soludo.
In a swift reaction, the Anambra police command spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that the police have been doing their best to end cultism in the state.
The committed effort of the police command, under the watch of Commissioner of Police (CP) Aderemi Adeoye, has helped to reduce the rate of killings in Anambra.
He said that the command would always partner anybody fighting insecurity following its determination to flush out criminality in the state.
(NAN)
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