Opinion
By Obike Ukoh
INSECURITY is not peculiar to the South-East zone of the country. Unarguably, the zone could be said to be among the most peaceful part of the country.
Indeed, current statistical data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), showed that statistically, the South-East and South-South zones are the safest part of the country, contrary to media narratives.
The rampaging activities of bandits and herdsmen that had prevented farmers from going to their farms, in many parts of the country, resulting to food shortages, contrast the situation in the South-East.
The insecurity menace in the South-East is essentially perpetuated by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their Eastern Security Network (ESN) allies.
The activities of these non-state actors are self-inflicting, as the people of the zone suffer huge economic losses as a result of the weekly sit-at-home, imposed by IPOB and other pro-Biafra agitators.
It is the strategy adopted by the Federal Government, via the security agencies, deployed to the zone to tackle these non-state actors, that is the issue and to a large extent the problem.
It is public knowledge, that these non-state actors, sometimes armed to the teeth, attack armed security operatives at check points.
The known and visible strategy by security operatives deployed to the South-East to tackle insecurity is mounting of road blocks.
At this road blocks, commuters are subjected to all kinds of inhuman treatment, including being forced to come out from their vehicles, and trek long distances to cross check points.
This approach has continued to be criticized by stakeholders, with advice to the security operatives to adopted intelligence driven approach to tackle insecurity in the South-East.
Recently, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, expressed his aversion to the current strategy, and advised security operatives deployed to the South-East to adopt intelligence driven approach.
Kalu, who condemned the uncountable road blocks on major roads, urged the leadership of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to dismantle the road blocks. “The strategy is obsolete and worsens the already tense security situation in the South-East,’’ Kalu stressed.
He advised the Army and other security agencies to deploy intelligence driven strategies to tackle crime, rather than mounting road blocks.
Road blocks, according to him, are no longer effective and also subject commuters to untold hardship. Kalu said inter alia: “ I am very strong willed when it comes to security. Crime must be condemned and eradicated. No governor should tolerate crime in his state.’’
“ Ndi Igbo must have safety in their hands. The Federal Government and state governors should work towards that. The Army should dismantle all the road blocks in Igboland.’’
“ Where people will disembark from their vehicles and trek across road blocks is not a viable option to curtail insecurity. Security is about intelligence.’’
The former governor of Abia, advised South-East governor to be resolute and ruthless in dealing with non-state actors, as he did while he was Abia governor from 1999 to 2007.
Also, speakers at a recent event organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in collaboration with UNICEF and Imo State Government held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, stressed the need to adopt intelligence driven strategy to tackle insecurity in the South-East and South-South zones.
One of the speakers, Mr Ibim Semenitari,
said that current data from the National Bureau of Statistics reveals that these regions are statistically the safest in the country, contrary to media narratives.
According to Semenitari, the mismatch between perception and reality is partly due to poor strategic communication and branding efforts.
Media stories often amplify isolated incidents while overlooking improvements in security and stability, he noted. Semenitari also re-echoed the need to adopt modern and scientific approach to tackling insecurity, stressing that road blocks are not only obsolete but archaic. According to him, security agencies should encourage community policing and invest in intelligence-led crime prevention.
As a result of the mismatch of the situation on ground in the South-East, the NGE in a communiqué issued at the end of the Owerri Conference, appealed to editors to play down on dissemination of information and messages of self-seeking groups in the zone promoting insecurity and violence.
Journalists were also advised to embark on investigative journalism, in reporting security challenges, which is akin to intelligence driven approach in tackling insecurity.
The outrage about the massive road blocks in the South-East, is not only because of the dehumanization of commuters, but also because of the open extortion by security personnel. That issue was once again brought to national attention, by a group, Igbo National Council (INC), that forwarded a petition to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions. It is titled: “Petition Against Unlawful Extortion of Motorists and Wanton Humiliation of Civilian Passengers…
INC Directorate of Human Rights Protection Desk, in a statement appealed to the public to forward pictorial and video pieces of evidence of their experiences at check points.
The INC President, Chilos Godsent, explained that the group’s action was designed to ascertain the level of human rights violations against civilians by security operatives serving in the South-East, so that necessary actions can be taken against perpetrators.
Godsent said: “We therefore call on interested people of the South-East to immediately furnish us with the videos and pictures of the unlawful extortion and wanton humiliation of civilian passengers that are asked to come down from their vehicles and trek a distance to pass the check points before entering their vehicles to continue with their journey.
“ This public hearing may put an end to the on going humiliation of civilians by security operatives at various military check points in the South-East.’’
Even before now, various groups have continued to voice their resentment to the myriad of military check points across major roads in the South-East.
Foodstuff dealers in the South-East have blamed the continuously rising prices of food items on the activities of security personnel deployed to the South-East.
The group, under the aegis of Food Vendors/Farmers Association of Nigeria, South-East chapter, alleged that farmers and food vendors, while moving farm products to various locations and markets, were seriously extorted by officers who had mounted several road blocks across the region.
Gabriel Ikem, the Zonal Coordinator, South-East Food Vendors/Farmers Association blamed the high food prices in the South-East to the activities of security personnel.
“ The South-East has the highest number of check points and road blocks. That is why if you observe, the prices of foodstuffs are higher here. This is because these farmers will factor in the money they gave at the check points.’’
“We are not against the road blocks, as it is a way of providing security on the roads, but the problem is the extortion they are using it to carry out. If the issue of these multiple extortions can be addressed, we are sure prices of food will crash by over 40 per cent.’’
Checks showed that on the Onitsha – Enugu expressway, a distance of 105 kilometres, there are over 25 security check points.
President of INC Godsent, who said he travels often across the South-East condemns what travelers go through and list some of the notorious roads.
He listed them as the Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu expressway, Owerri-Aba road, Onitsha-Owerri road, Onitsha-Enugu expressway, among others.
He lamented that INC has drawn the attention of the Defence Headquarters to the menace with no positive response, before the INC forwarded a petition to the House of Representatives on the reprehensible activities of security personnel deployed to the South-East.
With empirical evidence that the road blocks have outlived their usefulness, modern and scientific approach and strategy should be adopted to tackle insecurity in the South-East.
*** Obike Ukoh, Deputy Editor-In-Chief (Emeritus), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
16th December, 2024.
C.E.
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