Youths under the aegis of Imo Youths Peace Movement, staged a March in Owerri, the Imo State capital, seeking an end to insecurity in the state.
The youths decried the high rate of killings, kidnapping, banditry, and all forms of insecurity in the state.
Led by the Chairman and founder of the Group, Chidubem Ogbenna, the youths marched from control post roundabout to government house roundabout down to Wetheral, Douglas Road, MCC Road, Bank Road, Okigwe Road, World bank Road, Orlu Road and Teltlow Road.
Speaking to newsmen, Ogbenna said the essence of the rally was to let the people of the state know the value of peace.
He said; “this is the grand finale of this rally. We had in the past two days carried out this same rally in the Orlu zone and also in the Okigwe zone of the state. This is a serious campaign. We are fed up with the level of insecurity in Imo State. The kidnapping, armed robberies, killing of policemen, bombing of security formations and all forms of banditry in this state are unacceptable.
“We have no place to call our state except Imo. We are not politically partisan. We are self-funded. We are only interested in the security and well being of the state. We have written to the governor of Imo state, informing him that we are committed to the peace and well being of the state and the people of Imo state. We have also visited the commissioner for information and strategy and his counterpart in the ministry of justice.
“We want every stakeholder to be genuinely committed to the peace and prosperity of the state. Imo has suffered a lot in the last two years. We are reaching out to the traditional rulers and the clergy. We are not limiting our consultations. This march is to inform everybody including the hawkers that we should all work together to restore peace in Imo state”, he added.
Gideon Chinagorom, the publicity secretary of the group said they are already discussing with youths in the state to bring peace back to the state.
“We are not limiting our consultations. We also know that a lazy mind is the devil’s workshop. That is why we are rehabilitating those who are victims of drug abuses like mkpurumiri. We are trying our best to reintegrate them into society.
“This is not the Owerri we used to have. We also know that Owerri used to be the center of the hospitality and tourism industry in the South East and the South-South zones. Every weekend people used to troop into Owerri from Port Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, Awka, Onitsha, Uyo, Asaba. But people no longer come because of insecurity. We want Owerri to start bobbling the way it used to be. That is why we are asking everybody to join hands with us in ending insecurity in the state.”
