Information and culture minister Lai Mohammed says talks of invocation of a state of emergency in Anambra by Attorney-General Abubarkar Malami is in order.
He also brushed off criticisms of the move, claiming that the threats posed by separatist agitators, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), were more grievous than those of bandits in northern states.
“In the last couple of weeks, IPOB had imposed sit-at-home on the citizens, they did not allow people to go to schools, markets and there are also high profile killings,” Mohammed said on Thursday.
“The AGF said yesterday that the government will do whatever it takes to restore law and order in Anambra and the entire South-East to ensure that symbols and pillars of democracy are not tampered with.
“The forthcoming election in the state is one of the pillars of democracy
“Those who are criticising the AGF on this, have they thought for one minute what will happen if the election does not take place in Anambra State on Nov. 6?” Mr Mohammed asked.
On Wednesday, Mr Malami, threatened that the Muhammadu Buhari regime would impose a state of emergency in Anambra if the security situation does not improve.
However, Anambra governor Willie Obiano, on Thursday, after his meeting with Buhari, described such suggestions as “unfortunate.” He argued that northern states which had suffered more violence had not been threatened with the invocation of a state of emergency.
But the information minister reckons that what was happening in Anambra presently was not similar to the situation in bandits-ravaged states such as Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina.
“It is a disingenuous argument to say that they have killed more people in Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna than they killed in Anambra,” Mr Mohammed argues.
“What is happening in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger is criminality and the government will not condone it.”
The minister added that if there is any need to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna States, the government would not hesitate to do so.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
