The lawmaker representing Akamkpa 1 state constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Okon Owuna has alleged that the presence of some Ambazonian separatist fighters from Cameroon in many communities in Akamkpa LGA has fueled insecurity.
Two weeks ago, Nigeria Police personnel arrested a number of the rebel fighters and seized their cache of arms.
Speaking while presenting a matter of urgent public importance on the floor of the House, Owuna said the insecurity in Akamkpa has increased with the activities of rival cult gangs.
Owuna decried the poor working conditions, facilities and how ill-equipped the security agencies in the constituency are, fearing that if there was a breakdown in security, they would not have the capacity to contain the criminal elements.
“There are increasing concerns in Akamkpa where you have 60% of industries in the state. Many cult clashes resulting in deaths.
“There are many Ambazonian freedom fighters staying in many communities in Akamkpa. The police even discovered weapons of mass destruction in a house some of them stayed in a community in Akamkpa LGA.
“Out of the three police divisions in Akamkpa, not even one has a functional vehicle to help them respond to the many security emergencies. There’s also a shortage of police personnel.”
Lending their voices to the debate, other lawmakers called for increased border surveillance and security presence along the borderlines in all the communities sharing boundaries with Cameroon.
The Assembly said all those involved in criminal activities in Akamkpa be arrested and prosecuted in line with the extant laws of the country.
They also stressed the need for local security and local collaboration with security operatives to address the menace.
They resolved that the state government should provide operational vehicles and other relevant apparatus to security agencies and influence them to increase manpower in Akamkpa.
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