The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and an Igbo interest group, Voice from the East, have condemned the killing of some youths by security agencies in Emene, Enugu State, on Sunday.

The groups, in separate statements on Tuesday, described the killing as unacceptable and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chuks Ibegbu, said the account of the incident showed that security agents were going about looking for the trouble of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The Ohanaeze spokesman said it was the same overzealousness of security agents that caused the current Boko Haram imbroglio.

He stated, “The Shiite crisis in Nigeria was also caused by the highhandedness of Nigerian security agents. Why are our security agents always courting trouble?

“Even if I do not agree with the group (IPOB), the members have their constitutional right to life and nobody should deny them that. These boys are not terrorists in the manner of Boko Haram or the killer herdsmen.

“We do not train our security agents well these days. We need to start retraining them and I feel there is also some elements of ethnic bias in these killings and this must stop if we want one Nigeria to continue.”

On his part, the Convener of VEAST, Kindness Jonah, lamented the “tacit but clandestine approval of the serial killings by Fulani herdsmen” by the powers that be, which he accused of looking the other way “but waste Igbo lives at the slightest provocation.”

‘Set up judicial panel of inquiry – Abaribe

Meanwhile, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Tuesday, condemned the killings.

He said the constant killing of the Igbo had given room to suspicion of a sinister motive.

He also said the labelling of every Igbo group as terrorist organisation and the killing of Igbo youths by security operatives were no longer acceptable.

Abaribe said these in a statement by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, titled, ‘Abaribe condemns Igbo youths’ killings in Enugu’.

He demanded the setting up of a judicial panel of inquiry by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

The statement read in part, “Incontrovertible reports suggest that the killings were ignited when the security operatives stormed the venue of that peaceful meeting, not that the youth marched to anywhere to attack anybody.