Traders in Nigeria’s South-east have shut down markets in Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States in protest of the continued stay of the dreaded Boko Haram prisoners in the region.
The protest is coming despite the assurance by the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, after a security meeting with a seven-man delegation from the National Security Adviser, that the 47 Boko Haram detainees at Ekwulobia prison will be moved out of the state soon.
The traders assembled at Ekwulobia to register their resentment against the prisoners through the National President of the South-east Traders Association, Mr Okwudili Ezenwankwo.
Mr Ezenwankwo said that the presence of the Boko Haram prisoners was a security threat to the region which had been battling kidnapping cases.
The traders further stressed that they have never taken any kidnap suspect to the north for trial. He, however, wondered why the insurgents should be brought down to the east where no trial or any form of prosecution would be conducted.
While the outcry went on, the academia, students and pupils of Aguata extraction, gathered at Ekwulobia Stadium to assert that all the challenges of life could only be addressed through education which they said, was the only tool for competition globally.
The coordinator of Aguata Academic Competition, Mr Bart Nwibe, said that good education would sharpen and develop the potentials of youth to get to a desired level of excellence rather than illiteracy which would expose them to vices.
The traditional ruler of Akpo community, HRH Jonathan Okpalaezecha summed up the event, maintaining that competition in education would help youths to become achievers as well as help shape their lives.
