On the 30th of May 2024, nothing betrayed even the least that my most cherished town would be a location for a seeming terror attack.

While some of us were very grateful to our Chi for having seen us through the year down to this very day, it never occurred to us in any way that some families would lose their bread winners that day.

Our relatively calm city of Aba was visited by the men of the underworld. On their trail as the passed through Obikabia somewhere around Ukaegbu street in Aba, they left the corpse of Soldiers who were on a peace keeping mission in Aba.

To make matters worse, the people who were gruesomely murdered were majorly Military officers of Igbo decent.

Therefore, we need you to understand that there is no justification whatsoever on earth for anyone to take any human life, this is the fact.

However, the pain of being killed in your Motherland by most probably your brothers who feel that you are an enemy because you enlisted into the Military, hurts the most.

Five (5) of the Soldiers were mauled down in the most gruesome manner, with one of them being decapitated. That is the reality of most locations in the Southeast – insecurity stares us in the face daily and we seem outrightly helpless in most cases. Only God Almighty protects us as a people at this time.

Read also; Mainstreaming Volunteerism in Africa.

Dr. Alex Chioma Otti must be commended for standing up to the occasion to encourage the bereaved families that lost their loved ones and also coming to their aid with some heart-warming promises to their various families.

He did not stop there, he went to see the Military Commander for the State and also the men who are deployed to the field to keep the State safe, to commiserate with them for their loss.

The Chief Executive of Abia State showed leadership with those actions and any man or woman of goodwill must applaud the Governor of Abia State for such feat.

Only if some other Southeastern Governors will take a cue from Dr. Alex Otti on this subject matter and how to address its dynamics.

Read also; Directed Blood Donation.

Today being the 17^th of June, 2024, a similar ugly scenario has just played out in Nnewi Anambra State.

Mr. Chieloka Ubajekwe the Commander of the team of vigilante officers saddled with the task of securing Nnewi and its neighbouring towns has just been cut short after celebrating Father’s Day on the 16^th of June 2024, by daredevil criminals.

From information available to our team, these criminals took not less than five (5) lives through the barrel of their guns today while leaving the blood bank unit of a tertiary care level hospital where these guns shut victims were conveyed to, in stretched need of blood pint for transfusion. Unintended victims of the criminals with bullet wounds have stretched the capacity of the said hospital blood bank unit.

Read also; Celebrating world blood donor’s day in Nigeria.

Mr. Chieloka Ubajekwe and his team had gotten a distress call to come over and help a group of people that have been robbed and possibly kidnapped from a hotel, according to our source.

Owing to the fact that the operation by these criminals had happened along the E dey work axis of Nnewi to Nnobi, this brave Commander and his team took an alternative route with the aim of foiling the operation.

Unfortunately for Mr. Ubajekwe and his men, things got very messy as they ran into each other suddenly. The criminals obviously having a superior fire power made a minced meat of these patriotic vigilante officers. This encounter was what led to the death of these very brave men while a few others escaped being killed by the whiskers.

Read also; Who would protect the Nigerian consumer?

The reason why I took time to explain both scenarios is to let you know that these both events have something to do with IPOB. While the Aba own happened on the day Biafra Heroes were celebrated, the Nnewi incident happened on a day IPOB declared a compulsory sit at home day.

Mondays in the Southeast was declared sit at home day by non-State actors some years ago and it is still being enforced till tomorrow. These group of non-state actors has been responsible for enforcing same in some Southeastern States while the masses look on helplessly.

One truth that stares all in the face is that organized criminals have mapped out this day to carry out their nefarious acts. This is because they know how free the roads would be when they step out on such days for their operations.

This has been a pattern which has ended up making the masses choose to stay in doors on such days as are declared sit at home since the government and its agencies can no longer carry out one of its primary responsibilities to the citizens which is the protection of life and property.

Read also; Voluntary Blood Donation in Nigeria.

Now that Mr. Chieloka Ubajekwe has been gruesomely killed in the line of duty, what happens to the family he left behind and his team members?

What would the Nnewi community do to say thank you to a man who laid down his life for all who live in Nnewi so that they can have peace?

How would the members of House of Assembly, House of Representative and Senate representing this constituency encourage the other men of the vigilante group who are left behind?

The reason why I make it a duty to spare something for anyone with a good sense of engagement I see on the road doing security work is because they are doing what so many of us cannot do, even if offered a million dollar.

Read also; A Day with the Chidokas.

Being a security officer in Nigeria by all yardsticks is not worth it. The major benefit they get most times is their ability to use their access to weapon to intimidate others who are not so privileged.

Beyond that, I am yet to see what the benefits are because their welfare are always very poor with no one paying close attention to their families when they die even if they breathed their last in the line of duty.

Nnewi community must mobilise the elites and residents of the town to honor Mr. Chieloka Ubajekwe in a manner that would inspire his Colleagues who are still in service to do more.

This is not a time to play politics, the Chief Security Officer of Anambra State must break his silence on the insecurity related issues.

Read also; You may not know who is watching. Stick always to your conviction.

He has to make it known to all in words and most importantly action that such acts of criminality in the State are alien to the State. The Governor should do what he has to do to show that he is interested in the safety of Anambra residents.

Talking about apprehending the criminals would be a joke taken too far, as long as we are still in the State. This is because we are yet to see the government set some public examples with some convicted criminals in the State.

The Governor can explore the low hanging fruits of psychological support and physical visit to show that the safety of this axis of the State is very important to him. He should also most importantly honor this brave man, so that his team members would have their morale intact.

Mr. Chieloka Ubajekwe and other men of the vigilante that died or sustained a form of injury or the other in their line of duty have to be rewarded in ways that would inspire their Colleagues. On no account should we allow their morale to be depleted, else Nnewi axis would be overrun by criminals.

There is money in the town in Nnewi community and such locations are prime options for criminals who are hardened. Nnewi and other communities in Anambra State must be protected at all cost.

Rest in peace to the fallen heroes. To those hit by stray bullets, we wish you all quick recovery. The time to take a closer look at the caliber of assault rifles given to these vigilantes is now. That pump action they care seems self-destructing.