A socio-cultural group, “Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo”, has lamented the increasing insecurity in the South-East geopolitical region and called on governors of the affected states to check the trend.

Mrs Josephine Anenih, the President-General of the group  made the call at a news conference in Awka on Wednesday.

The South-East had witnessed heightened crisis in recent times with violent attacks on security personnel and formations which had resulted in deaths and loss of property.

Mrs Anenih, a former Minister of Women Affairs, said the sense of insecurity in the region was so strong that people now lived in fear, while parents were afraid to send their children to school for fear of attack.

She said governors of South-East states should be united and play a fatherly role by making efforts to bring the angry youths to a roundtable for dialogue and possible way out.

“We are saddened by the fact that blood is being spilled all over the country as women. We are appalled that we cannot go about our businesses without fear of being killed, raped, kidnapped or abducted.

“We are unhappy because our children cannot go to school feeling safe and protected by adults and the governments.

“We appeal to the governors of our region to step up beyond the establishment of Ebube-Agu to dialogue with all those that can make peace return to our region.

“For so long, the South East has been burdened by economic hardships and movement around the region had been made more expensive because of the several roadblocks that translate not to more or better security but avenues for extortion and intimidation.

“Today, we women are shocked that the seeming sense of security being provided cannot protect us and our children as there have been a series of deaths, abductions and arson in the region, children are dying before they live,” she said.

The group said the governors should go beyond formation of the Ebube-Agu security outfit and demonstrate that the lives and property of the people in the region were of priority to them.

The women said the security situation was hurting the economic and social life of the people as no productive life could exist in a state of anarchy and insecurity.

“We believe in the Igbo mantra of Agu n’eche Ibe that mandates everyone to look out for the security of each other.

“Ebube Agu must be married to the Agu n’eche ibe social mantra. We want the security of our region to be taken more seriously,” she said.