There is palpable tension as all is set for the burial today of Eze Israel Kanu and his wife, Sally, the parents of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The burial will hold in Isiama Afaraukwu in the Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
It was observed on Thursday that there was heavy presence of policemen at the command’s headquarters ready for action during the burial.
Earlier in the day, the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Mr Ene Okon, ordered the removal of Close Circuit Television installed by unknown persons around Isiama Afaraukwu Umuahia ahead of the burial of Eze Israel Kanu and his wife Sally.
He said while individuals had the right to install CCTV in their homes, nobody had the right to install one on public properties on the street because of its security implications.
Okon spoke during a final meeting with the elders of the three communities that made up Afaraukwu on Thursday at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia. The meeting was meant to avert crisis.
He said the command had made plans to police the burial venue and would implement it to the latter.
He maintained that the state police command was ready to provide security during the burial of the monarch and his wife, adding that he had no plans to scuttle the burial.
He said, “I invited the elders of the Afaraukwu communities to tell you how prepared we are for the burial of the deceased monarch and his wife.
“I’m sure that the community selected February 14 as the burial date for the King and his queen to indicate the love they have for each other and I commend you for that.
“I want to assure that we are prepared to provide security during the burial of the monarch and beyond; but the police would not fold its arms and watch any group truncate the peace of Afaraukwu and Abia State in the name of IPOB, which is a proscribed organisation.”
The CP urged the elders to warn the Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to desist from playing propaganda with his parents’ burial.
“We are aware through intelligence that many IPOB members had arrived Kanu’s home on Wednesday night.
“But we advise him to let them remain in his house and if he wants them to bury his parents, let them do that within his compound while the elders sit down and watch them. Let them and posterity judge that,” the CP added.
Responding, The President-General of IsiamaAfara community, Chief Ikechukwu Ndubueze, said the community had remained peaceful and were ready to work with the police to ensure that the burial of its late monarch and his wife would be peaceful.
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