Ebonyi State government on Monday debunked the allegations that it inaugurated a vigilante group called “Bakassi Boys ” to fight the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Rumour making round on social media, spearheaded by a group called “The Biafra Restoration Voice (TBRV) alleged that Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state commissioned the said security group.
According to their write up,” Governor David Umahi has set up group of men called”Bakassi Boys “in Ebonyi, their job and mission is to attack IPOB members and so on”.
But debunking the allegations the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace,Mr Stanley Okoro Emegha said the state has no other internal security outfit except the Neighborhood watch.
He described the information to be strange.
He said: “This is a strange story as far as the state is concerned, there is no security outfit that can be established in this state without the knowledge of the state government and as such there is nothing like
Bakassi boys.
“There is nothing like Bakassi or ISAKABA, IPOB, MASSOB or whatever you call them. People may stay in their homes based on their agitations and say they are IPOB or MASSOB or they are this or that but they are not known in Ebonyi state because their activities are against the law of the land.
“So, there is nothing like BAKASSI in Ebonyi state and there is no inauguration of such group in the state. There is absolutely nothing like that and we don’t condone it. Who did the selection? Who inaugurated them?
“There were some people that came and said they are National Vigilante and the Governor said we don’t want to hear anything like that here in the state.
“What we have which is constitutionally approved by our House of Assembly is the state Neighbourhood Watch and everybody know their activities. It is recognized worldwide and security agencies in the state know their activities and that is the only thing we know in the state and we have as a security outfit.
“Their conducts have limitations, there are certain extent they don’t go. They give tips to police, their activities does not cross this level and they are purely to checkmate pocket of crime”
“Any other thing called BAKASSI we are not part of it and the state is not part of it. The general public should please disregard that rumour, it is untrue” Emegha said.
