Enugu — The lingering insecurity in the South East region is not abating. The situation, especially in Anambra and Imo States, is getting out of hand, and giving the people serious concern.
Residents of the region daily live in fear.
Very recently, members of the crew of Super Sports going to cover the match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were kidnapped in Isseke, a border town in Ihiala council area with Orlu, Imo State. Three people lost their lives during the attack.That area of the state had become a no- go area for the past three years.
The President General of Umunze community and another community leader were also abducted two weeks ago in Umunze and they spent 15 days in the hands of the abductors.
In August and September, gunmen attacked the Divisional Police Stations at Umunze and Oba and Nnobi, both in Idemili South and in Nnewi. In fact, the list of the attacks is endless. There had also been daylight killings at Nnewi, Okija, Ogbunka, in recent months and some of the victims were security operatives.
While Anambra and Imo are presently the worst hit, other states of the South East are also affected in various degrees. And the question remains-Why is the insecurity, particularly kidnapping persisting. Are the governments in these states overwhelmed?
Blame game as security situation worsens in Anambra
Worried by the level of insecurity in the State, the Obi of Onitsha Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, in his Ofala speech last weekend, called on President Bola Tinubu to convene a security and economic summit in the country to tackle the problems of insecurity and hardship.
Igwe Achebe said: "At Ofala last year, I stated that the previous 12 months were marked by uncertainties occasioned by the aftermaths of the general elections, which was further exacerbated by the continuing insecurity and the effects of the sudden removal of the fuel price subsidy. Unfortunately, the well-being of the polity has declined even more steeply in the last 12 months leading to a 10-day national protest in August 2024, tagged #Endbadgovernance.
"The two areas of most concern are the economy and security. Their combined effects are the spiraling rise in the cost of living, business closures, loss of employment, a general feeling of hopelessness, and lack of trust in the government.
"We urge Mr. President to also consider alternative views and urgently convene a non-partisan national economic and security summit to forge a collective way forward for the country", the royal father said.
The Monarch lamented that crime has increased in Anambra state because Governor Chukwuma Soludo has not made any additional subvention for local security, even as the governor has said that traditional rulers would be held accountable for crimes in their locality.
"The most pressing challenge we faced during the last 12 months remained inadequate funding for our two Vigilante teams, namely, the State Government sponsored Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) and our local Onitsha Community Vigilante Unit (OCVU).
"The state government had earlier doubled its contribution for the AVG of N10,000 each from 10 to 20 persons. That still left our community and others with a significant additional cost since the actual salaries of the AVG members range from N25,000 to N30,000 per month," Igwe Achebe said.
No visible strategy for security architecture on ground in Anambra
The chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo said he is worried that the elite and the critical stakeholders in Anambra appear to have been overwhelmed by the ugly situation.
"There is this kind of unusual Anambra elite conspiracy of silence which made me think that it could be assumed that we are conspirators in this whole very dangerous situation. When I look around Anambra State, I see that it is becoming a ghost state. This is because of the security situation. We know there is a general security situation in the nation and majorly in some parts of Nigeria. However we know that the security situation in Anambra got worse when Soludo took over. We know the genuine efforts that his predecessor made to contain the security situation.
"Looking at it now, things are not as they ought to be. And the most unfortunate situation is that there seems not to be anything going on, in terms of a visible plan or strategy, or even investment in the security architecture in Anambra State to make things better. That makes me wonder if it is the design that suits Soludo; a design that will keep people away from the state and he thinks that is the cheapest and easiest way for him to have a second term, which now seems to be the only agenda on his table."
Some elites are fueling insecurity - Anambra Govt
But the Anambra State government, through the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor fingered some unnamed elites of fueling insecurity in the state.
According to him, some of the elites, who are politicians, supply guns to their thugs during campaigns to protect them, adding that these guns were never recovered after the elections, and they are then used to terrorize the people in various communities.
Govs should be held accountable -- Gen. Ijioma
Retired General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma attributed the lingering insecurity in the South East to the lack of political will by those in power to punish the perpetrators.
He said the Governors of the states with prevalent cases of insecurity should be held accountable, arguing that their poor performance could be a causative factor.
Ijioma singled out Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and his Imo State counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodinma, accusing them of not doin g enough in combating insecurity in their states.
"Look at the performance of the Governors of Imo and Anambra. What have they achieved? For instance, when Soludo was campaigning, you saw how some security operatives attached to him were killed? When he eventually became Governor, what has he done as somebody who went through the trauma of insecurity?
"Has he done anything towards reducing insecurity? Instead, he (allegedly) recruited thugs to be collecting tax from his people. The thugs use pestle to break people's elbows. So, is he trying to tame or encourage insecurity? If somebody in place of authority engages in a thing that is manifestly lawless, he is encouraging lawlessness.
"You know that Anambra is the most commercialized state in the South East, and if everything is commercialized, it then means that insecurity is also commercialized. Unfortunately, there is no mechanism put in place to address the menace. And you have a Governor sitting in office".
In the case of Imo State, Gen. Ijioma attributed it to the presence of too many hotels and pleasure making tendencies of the people.
He also pointed accusing fingers at the process through which the Governor emerged.
"I will always liken Imo State to Las Vegas in America. There is hotel everywhere but what are they producing in Imo? Are they encouraging people to live wayward lives?
"To worsen the situation, you know how the Governor emerged? How do you want order when you emerged through disorder?
"The greatest incentive for insecurity to thrive is the absence of consequences. There must be manifest will by those in power to address the issues. Do you think people will indulge in action when there is consequence, no", General Ijioma said.
Release of Kanu; use non- kinetic approach to address agitations --Research group
In his opinion, the coordinator, Security, Violence and Conflict Research Group, SVCRG, Prof. Freedom Onuoha, said the release of Nnamdi Kanu from incarceration will abate insecurity in the region.
Prof. Onuoha explained that the call for Kanu's release was based on the outcome of a research which the group conducted on the cause of insecurity and separatist agitations in the region.
"SVCRG carried out a research on countering violent separatism and criminality in the South East and we found out that the use of non military approach in quelling agitations in the region, including the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, would guarantee peace and security in the zone".
Bianca Ojukwu blames it on criminal elements that hijacked genuine agitation for self-determination
Worried by the developments, wife of the late Biafra leader, Iyom Bianca Ojukwu noted that insecurity has persisted in most parts of the South East because opportunistic criminal elements within Igbo land had hatched onto the separatist agitation bandwagon to commit heinous crimes.
"The incessant killings and kidnappings, the increasing rate of annexation and takeover of community farmlands by armed herdsmen and other dangerous invaders have taken their toll on agro and economic prospects as well as social activities in most Igbo communities", Iyom Bianca Ojukwu lamented.
In Enugu State, there seem to be a conspiracy of coordinated security attacks, almost from all fronts and corners, and from all the local government areas of the state. Almost on daily basis there is always one or two reports of killings, kidnapping, torture and some others forms of security breach in the state.
The Enugu-Opi-Nsukka road has since become a den of kidnappers, spreading into all parts of Enugu North Senatorial zone. At the Ikem and Ehamufu boundary communities in Isi-Uzo council area, there is no respite there as suspected armed herdsmen have continued to unleash attacks and abductions in the area.
The situation in Enugu capital city is not better as individuals are always kidnapped on the roads and in their homes.
The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority has in recent times demolished no less than four houses used by kidnappers in their nefarious activities. The affected demolitions took place at Owelli in Awgu council, Ogbeke, Emene and Nokpa in Enugu East council.
However, there seems to be hope as the Enugu state Government is putting up serious measures to tackle insecurity in the state.
The State has built a well equipped Command and Control centre securely located inside the Government House with hi-tech security gadgets covering some parts of the state connected to it. It was recently inaugurated by the Vice President. The Government has followed it up with launching of N20 billion security trust funds to ensure that security of the state is sustained.
Security sources told SEV that the security infrastructures installed in the state has started yielding positive fruits, hence the monitoring of the activities of kidnappers which led to the recent demolition of some their dens in the state.
Solution does not lie in the Nigerian police; centralize vigilante services in the region
Chief Chris Adimora, former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Anaocha Branch, said the panacea to the endemic insecurity in the region does not lie in the Nigeria Police Force. The solution, he suggests lies with the local vigilante services. The vigilante organization needs to be centralized in each state of the region with clear cut command structures. By command structures, I mean creating area commands of a given number of local governments under strong leadership command. The personnel of the vigilante organizations have to be well motivated with adequate logistics and training and advised that "the entire security votes of the states in the South East must be deployed whole and entire to security".
The states, he said, must collaborate in terms of structures and logistics through the high commands created without any interference from Abuja".
He also advised that "our retired police and army officers need to be recruited into this war against insecurity now before the South East falls completely without any modicum of government. The signs are already here: under whose order are we sitting at home every Monday? A stitch in time saves nine".
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We are providing enabling environment for effective security operation --Imo Govt
The Imo state government said it is providing the enabling environment for effectively security of lives and properties. The Senior Special Adviser on Electronic/Creative Media to the governor, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu said: "The government, in collaboration with security agencies, has implemented several measures to combat these issues effectively. Recently, the Imo State Police Command, in a joint operation with the military, launched a specialized squad aimed at dismantling kidnapping and armed robbery syndicates across the state. This initiative underscores the commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents.
"His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma, has provided an enabling environment by improving the welfare of officers, procuring state-of-the-art security gadgets and providing operational vehicles for security operatives. These efforts have significantly motivated the officers and enhanced their capacity to secure the state.
"As a result, several arrests of violent criminals have been made. Only a few days ago, a team of security operatives neutralized armed robbers operating in Owerri North, a neighborhood that had been frequently disturbed by such activities. The government continues to achieve more successes in this regard", Nwaogwugwu said.
But many Imo residents dispute the claims of improved security in the states as some of them lamented that non-state actors are still giving them sleepless nights.
A resident of Owerri said that the residents of Obinze, Avu, Ihiagwa, Okolochi, Emeabiam and Eziobodo, have ugly tales to tell about their experiences. Also, residents of Umuagu Layout, Umuguma autonomous community, in Owerri West council have cried out over what they called "the ceaseless siege laid by armed robbers in the area".
"There has been a ceaseless siege by armed robbers, in our area. We have not had a good sleep in the past two weeks and from the look of things, the end to this siege is not in sight.
"People living around Umuguma-Irete road and Abba Father axis have not had a wink in the past several days. The hoodlums operate from house to house, raping and robbing people", a resident of the area lamented.
A community leader in Aba North council, Chief Chukwuemeka Ogbugo blames the rising insecurity on the continued detention of the leader of the indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and urged the federal government to release him and restore peace to the troubled region.
"I urge the federal government to heed their call to free Kanu and let us see if there will be peace in the South East. We can't continue to lose lives and properties and pretend that all is well".
