• Gully erosion threatens community • Inhabitants flee
• Boko Haram inmates may be transferred before Sept
Ekwulobia Prison, now in the headlines for its Boko Haram inmates, may collapse under gully erosion, putting at risk the lives of the original 167 prisoners, the 47 jihadists, and the residents of the town.
The terrorists may be transferred before September.
One of the erosion sites in Anambra State traverses Ekwulobia and Ifite Aguata where buildings and economic trees have been destroyed.
A second site is at Ula Ekwulobia, the village of traditional ruler Emmanuel Onyeneke. The third is at Agba village.
Ekwulobia residents have resigned to fate, awaiting the collapse of the dilapidated federal government prison.
When TheNiche visited the village for the third time last week, those living close to erosion site were taking away their property to cut the loss of personal effects.
13 years of havoc
Umunchia erosion site in Ekwulobia, which is in its 13th year, has destroyed over 185 buildings and rendered about 261 families homeless.
Former Aguata Council Chairman, Titus Anigbogu, told TheNiche that since Abuja found it proper to relocate Boko Haram prisoners to Ekwulobia it should equally see it as expedient to stop the erosion and rehabilitate infrastructure in the area.
Ekwulobia is the headquarters of Aguata Council and Aguata is a federal constituency in the National Assembly.
Anigbogu lamented that “we suffer epileptic power supply and some times there is no supply for about a month. This has a lot of effect on business and general economic activities in the town.
“All federal roads in Aguata Council have collapsed and water supply in Ekwulobia is a welfare case.
“Drinking water is a problem in Ekwulobia. All we do is to dig underground water tanks and channel rain water into them for use until the next raining season.
“We have a very deep erosion site near Ekwulobia Prison and it is capable of sweeping away the prison. When you visit there it is like a dungeon and a calamity waiting to occur.
“We have another one at Ula village in Ekwulobia and another one at Agba. These are active erosion sites and with this year’s rainfall only God knows what becomes our fate this year.”
Appeal for federal help
Lawmakers representing Aguata 1 State Constituency, Ikem Uzoezie, and Aguata 11, Ikechukwu Umeh, told TheNiche that it was only when Boko Haram prisoners were to be transferred that the federal government remembered Ekwulobia.
“They should also remember the hopeless state of infrastructure in our area. The much we have seen is the one being done by Governor Willie Obiano and we are very grateful.
The federal government should come and help us since they now recognise our existence.”
Onyeneke and Aguata Council Chairman, Chukwuma Umeoji, said the federal government should have found out the condition of Ekwulobia Prisons before transferring the Boko Haram inmates.
“I am sure the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not visit Ekwulobia before now. We do not have any federal presence here except the minimum security prison,” they said.
“All the federal roads have gone. We stand to be corrected if anything is being done to salvage the situation in Ekwulobia.
“We urge our Senator for Anambra South District, who is also a son of Aguata Local Government, Andy Uba, and the House of Representatives member, Eucharia Azodo, to do something about this.”
Boko Haram inmates may be transferred
Boko Haram inmates may be relocated to another state before the end of September, gleaned from the appeal Obiano made to the residents of Ekwulobia last week to remain calm as plans had reached advanced stage for the relocation.
Timothy Ifediorama, the state lawmaker representing Njikoka 1 Constituency, also confirmed to TheNiche that the motion on Boko Haram prisoners was stood down in the House of Assembly following reports that they would soon be transferred out of the state.
“The Assembly did not pass the resolution because we are informed that moves are in top gear that the 47 Boko Haram inmates would soon be transferred out of Ekwulobia.
“We are not sure where they would be taken to, but certainly not to any state in the South East.
“We have already been informed that the inmates would soon be transferred, so there is no need for the resolution. We merely suspended that resolution until around September. And if by September they are not transferred then we can come up with it”.
The news has calmed frayed nerves in Ekwulobia as normal daily activities are fast returning.
The traditional ruler, Emma Onyeneke, said: “If what I am hearing is true then we thank God for that. At least our people can now feel safe and relaxed.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge the federal Government to do the needful in that area.”
Residents of Ekwulobia are also pleased about the sack of Sambo Dasuki as National Security Adviser, because it was he who made the proposal to former President Goodluck Jonathan to transfer Boko Haram inmates the prison.
“This is a pay back time for the man and that shows the kind of job he was doing as a security adviser,” said community leader, Paul Onyesor.
“We urge the federal government to investigate further the main reasons and political undertones behind that proposal to transfer the Boko Haram inmates to the South East.”
