Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has called on traditional rulers and community leaders across the country to take urgent steps to protect their people from terrorists and kidnappers who continue to trouble many rural areas.
Naijaonpoint reports that she made this known in a post on Wednesday, sharing her concern about growing insecurity while also posting the image of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader who is serving a life sentence after being convicted for terrorism.
Rita stated that Kanu had raised early warnings about armed groups spreading across the country, but those warnings were ignored.
She said the situation has reached a point where communities can no longer rely solely on government action.
She urged traditional rulers and local leaders to pick out able young men in their areas and give them the support they need to recover forests and farmlands taken over by armed criminals.
She said communities can curb kidnappings if youths are well prepared and ready to defend their land.
According to her, terrorists move freely because they are heavily armed and were once shielded by corrupt officials.
She stressed that local youths understand their environment better than attackers and can protect their people if leaders stop making compromises.
Rita warned that if communities fail to act now, the danger will spread even closer to their homes.
“Let every community properly arm their youths… ask them to get into their bushes and forests and see these kidnappings stop overnight.
“If you don’t start this now, it’s coming to your doorsteps.”
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