The State House of Assembly has urged the State Government to impress on the Nigerian Police Force to increase manpower in the Area Command of old Netim and the two police divisions in Uyanga and Akamkpa towns.
The House also wants the State Government to provide operational vehicles as well as arms and ammunition for the Area.
The Legislators emphasised that these measures are critical to safeguarding the lives and property of citizens in the Akamkpa Local Government Area, which recently was invaded by Cameroonian Ambazonia Freedom Fighters.
The issue was raised as a matter of urgent public importance by the Member representing Akamkpa I State Constituency, Hon. Okon Nyong Owuna.
Owuna informed the Assembly that in the past two weeks, there have been cult clashes and an increase in the activities of Ambazonia Freedom Fighters in Akamkpa and its environs, which resulted in the death of four persons.
Owuna further informed the Assembly that the activities of the Ambazonia Freedom Fighters have led to an increase in the acquisition of arms and ammunition by cult groups in Akamkpa LGA, adding that expatriate quarry workers, amongst other business people, were fleeing the area for fear of losing their lives.
“Akamkpa LGA is an industrial area with multiple quarries and industries, it provides over 60% of the States IGR. In the past two weeks, there have been cult clashes and an increase in the activities of Ambazonia Freedom Fighters in Akamkpa urban, resulting in the death of about four persons,” Owuna explained.
The Member representing Obanlikwu State Constituency, Hon. Ashakia Pius Ashas, stated that the menace of the Ambazonia Freedom Fighters is not peculiar to Akamkpa only but in most border communities. He cited an instance where they attacked the Belegete community in his constituency and murdered one of the chiefs of the community.
Other lawmakers, in their contributions, noted that the Ambazonia Freedom Fighters are very deadly, adding that security agencies should be deployed to the area to dislodge them.
The lawmakers stressed that the State’s borders are porous thereby giving free access to migrants from neighboring countries. They sued for improved border patrol by security agencies to prevent invasion of border towns by militant groups, which, amongst other ills, affects farming and food production and increases unemployment.
In his remark the Speaker of the 10th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem condemned the incident while urging security agencies to urgently intervene to prevent further loss of lives and property.