- Ideato North local government area had in the past months come under insurgency attacks coupled with the kidnap and beheading of the then sole administrator of the council, Hon Chris Ohizu in January 2023 even as the police were yet to nab the perpetrators.
- The council boasts of rich cultural heritage and masquerade displays
The Imo State Government has banned all masquerade activities in Ideato North Local government Area of the state.
The directive was conveyed in a letter dated December 1, 2023, written by the chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, and addressed to the Chairman of Ideato North Local Government Traditional Council, Eze K.N. Kanu.
According to Okeke, who also serves as the chairman of the community policing council in the state, the decision is aimed at preventing a breakdown of law and order in the area.
The letter titled, ‘Security directive from the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Institution and Community Policing’, reads, “Considering the security situation in some parts of the state, the state government has directed that all forms of masquerade display in all communities in your LGA should be suspended forthwith till further notice.
“Furthermore, any traditional ruler, or masquerade group in Ideato North LGA that disobeys this directive will face serious sanctions from the state government.”
The letter charged Eze Kanu to ensure that all traditional rulers in Ideato North local government area ensured compliance of their subjects to the directive.
Ideato North LGA has witnessed a spike in insecurity in recent times, leading to the kidnapping and beheading of the then-sole administrator of the council, Hon Chris Ohizu, in January 2023.