Insecurity: Dont Allow Southeast Become Another Northeast, FENRAD Charges Governors

Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, has decried the growing attacks on security formation and agents in the Southeast, urging Governors in the region not to allow the once peaceful Igbo land become another Northeast where it says the federal and state governments are fighting to fend off forces of domestic and transborder terror.

FENRAD, a human rights and pro-democracy group in a statement signed by the Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor was reacting to a recent attack on the police Safer Highway Patrol Team – stationed at Nwaezenyi in Izzi local council of Ebonyi State, urging all regional stakeholders to save the region from looming anarchy.

It also urged Abia State Government, which had recently alerted the public of a planned attack in some locations in the state to move beyond raising the alarm to apprehend and prosecute the suspects.

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The statement reads, “Generally speaking, the security situation in the Southeast, if not fully and duly addressed, may plunge a hitherto peaceful region into primitive Hobbessian nature state where life is: “Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”.

“Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a human rights and pro-democracy group strongly condemns the killings of security agents and citizens by mostly non-state actors happening across the Southeast region; the most recent being the attack on a police formation – the Safer Highway Patrol Team – stationed at Nwaezenyi in Izzi local council of Ebonyi State a few days ago. FENRAD, heretofore, had urged all regional stakeholders to save the region from looming anarchy in an earlier release dated April 14, 2021and yet no significant improvement has been made nor has any success along this line been recorded.

“A recent release by Abia State government apprised citizens and residents of an uncovered plot being hatched by some nefarious persons to attack various locations within the state. While this, FENRAD says is preempting, the job would be complete if the actors behind this plot are apprehended and summarily made to face prosecutorial trials.

“FENRAD urges the governors of the region, especially the Ebonyi State governor – whose state has, in recent times, suffered plethora of coordinated attacks culminating in dislocation and displacement of innocent population and killings of security personnel – to do all he can as the chairman of the regional governors’ forum (Southeast Governors Forum) in ensuring that the Southeast does not tag along the Northeast where the federal and state governments are fighting to fend off forces of domestic and transborder terror.

“For regional peace, FENRAD urges the five governors of the region to vertically review the current security situation of the region through a regional security summit involving all the stakeholders of the region from traditional to religious and community rulers; heads of security agencies stationed in the region; security experts; opinion leaders within the region; civil society organisations; youth groups and all sundry similar groups to enhance a robust regional dialogue that could ameliorate this worsening security situation. It is true that the regional governors are tinkering with a community policing idea under the “Ebube Agu” outfit, wider consultation, FENRAD says, is required to ensure that peace and security of lives and property in the region is not undermined.

“FENRAD urges security agencies in the region to deploy all the intelligence logistics within its repertoire to forestall attacks before they happen. If attacks on police and military formations in the scale and size we have so far seen persist, it won’t be long before the region becomes lawless, anarchic, and chaotic where life and living depict the Hobbesian picture highlighted above.

“The best is to ensure a civil policing style from the police and military personnel and at the same time to localise security outfits in the region so that it is easier to contain local insecurity issues through local security outfits working with law enforcement agencies.’.