Insecurity: Declare state of emergency, Igbo Ekunie tells Buhari

An Igbo socio-cultural group, Igbo Ekunie Initiative (IEI) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare state of emergency on security over growing insurgency, attacks and terrorism across the nation.

The group also charged Buhari to immediately constitute an all-inclusive government of national unity, noting that that’s the most practical way of forming a national unity and forestalling Insurgencies in the nation.

IEI disclosed these in a statement jointly signed by its President, Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke, and Secretary, Lawrence Nwobu, on Friday.

The group expressed concern over the recent attack in Ebonyi state, where over 16 people were massacred in cold blood by rampaging killer herdsmen.

IEI also expressed despair over attack on former CBN Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, at his campaign venue in Anambra and the prison break at Imo correctional facility which saw many inmates escaped.

The group which claimed that President Buhari’s administration in the last sixyears unprecedented policy of exclusion, marginalization and overt sectional support for killer herdsmen, bandits, terrorists, reminded him of his most important constitutional responsibility which is to protect lives and Properties adding that the lapses, insensitivity to diversity, disregard to constitutional provisions for federal character, nepotism and many others has Nigerians increasingly lost faith in democracy.

IEI alleged that despite repeated complaints, outcries and proposals by eminent statesmen, stakeholders and concerned citizens across the nation in the last 6 years, President Buhari has studiously ignored all public opinion, complaints, advice, allowing the nation to continue the plunge into abyss.

The statement reads partly: “We the Igbo Ekunie Initiative, IEI, comprising individuals in Nigeria and the Diaspora; have observed with despair, the growing insurgency, terrorism and general insecurity across the nation. Just recently in Ebonyi state, over 16 people were massacred in cold blood by rampaging killer herdsmen in another brazen and provocative act of impunity. In Anambra state, heavily armed insurgents stormed Professor Chukwuma Soludo’s campaign venue and killed several security officers. In Imo state an audacious prison break was orchestrated in a growing pattern of attacks on security officials by unknown insurgents.

“Other than the needless Nigeria-Biafra war, there is no time in living memory; the nation has been confronted with such overwhelming acts of widespread killings, chaos and conflict. At the last count, insurgents/terrorists/bandits/kidnappers and killer herdsmen put above the law and enabled by the president himself, have all but rendered large parts of the North East, Northwest and North Central uninhabitable. Down South, Killer herdsmen have likewise waged war against local communities in practically every state and left a trail of blood and death. In the Southeast and South South, a guerrilla insurgency is taking root with sustained targeted ambush and killing of security officials.

“We remind the president that the protection of life and property is his most important constitutional responsibility. Indeed other than his fundamental constitutional responsibility, president Buhari also singularly bears “causative” responsibility for Nigeria’s security crisis and drift to war. In the last 6 years, his administration’s unprecedented policy of exclusion, sectionalism and overt sectional support for killer herdsmen, bandits and terrorists only created a predictable and inevitable scenario of self help and thus the emergence of insurgent/separatist groups in the Southwest, South South, Southeast and North Central. These evolving scenarios can only lead to one outcome: The eventual control of every zone by insurgents, the intensification of state failure and the ultimate collapse/disintegration of Nigeria.

“After two decades of democracy, almost every zone now seeks self determination. While the army is practically at war across the nation. It’s no surprise therefore that Nigerians have increasingly lost faith in democracy.

“In light of all of the above; we submit that the administration of president Buhari bears ultimate responsibility for Nigeria’s present security crisis and drift to war and disintegration. Much more than any previous Nigerian leader, Buhari has demonstrated an unprecedented insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity, disregarded constitutional provisions for federal character, disregarded public opinion like never before, demonstrated monumental aloofness and enthroned nepotism, sectionalism and injustice like never before in the nation’s history. Indeed President Buhari’s irrational support and enabling of killer herdsmen and other murderous terrorist groups rises to the level of abdication of duty and mirrors that of Omar Al Bashir former president of Sudan who infamously supported the “Janjaweed” as they wreaked havoc in Sudan and Hissene Habre former president of Chad who also supported militia groups as they killed thousands in Chad. It’s notable that both presidents were eventually indicted for crimes against humanity. A legacy or fate we hope president Buhari does not want for himself.

“We note that despite repeated complaints, outcries and proposals by eminent statesmen, stakeholders and concerned citizens across the nation in the last 6 years, Buhari has studiously ignored all public opinion, complaints, advice and allowed the nation to continue the plunge into abyss.”

In forming a government of national unity, the group recommended the following to the President Buhari-led government:

That the president must urgently constitute a government of national unity, declare a national state of emergency on security and act with all urgency to restore security across the nation.

That to gain the necessary nationwide support/loyalty in the onerous bid to restore security, the 6 frontline service chiefs or security officials namely the Chief of Army staff, the Chief of Defence staff, the Chief of Air staff, the Chief of Naval staff, the IG of police and the National Security Adviser being 6 in all should be reconstituted to reflect the 6 geopolitical zones.

That the command of the existing divisions/formations of the Army, Navy and Air force should be reconstituted to reflect the 6 geopolitical zones.

That the Federal police should also be reconstituted to reflect state and zonal balance. The governing DIG’s and AIG’s must reflect the 6 geopolitical zones, while each of the 36 states must produce a state police commissioner for national spread and to aid the overall effort to restore security across the nation.

That the federal government should urgently set up committees, firstly to begin steps to restructure the nation and secondly to dialogue with IPOB and other groups willing to dialogue in a bid to de-escalate tensions and tame growing separatist inclinations across the nation.