Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi said the local government council chairmen, Development Centre Coordinators and traditional rulers will henceforth be held accountable for any further killing within their localities.

Umahi spoke on Wednesday, in Abakaliki during the signing of the second phase of contracts for Ebonyi Ring Road projects.

The Governor said he would not hesitate to deploy every lawful means to suspend the aforementioned categories of people if any part of the state witnessed further killings.

He said that traditional rulers should be able to identify the youths in their localities who perpetrated attacks and killings in the state.

Umahi however, said his government was ready to suspend all projects and empower bandits if they laid down their arms, even as he warned that his administration would no longer tolerate further killings in Ebonyi.

“Let me warn all the local government chairmen, traditional rulers, development centre coordinators and parents that henceforth, they will be held responsible for any killings in the state.

“No any innocent Ebonyi citizen will be killed, no more. Anybody that attempts that will end up in jail,” Umahi warned.

He further called on residents in the state to collaborate efforts with security agencies to ensure lasting peace.

Umahi, who was angry over an allegation that those perpetrating the killings in Anambra were Ebonyi people, described the allegation as false, adding, “if any Ebonyi person is caught in killing, that person should be killed too.”

According to him, the killings in Anambra are political killings that have no link with Ebonyi people.

He said criminals who were from other states in South East zone had been severally arrested for the killings and other heinous crimes in Ebonyi State, without announcing their states of origin.

The governor, who is the chairman of the South East governors Forum, wondered why other people derive joy in tarnishing the image of Ebonyi people.

“Ebonyi will never be part of Biafra because of the marginalisation and slavery that Ebonyi people had been subjected to over the years by their South East brothers” he said.