Incessant attacks: Southeast must not plunge into anarchy, FENRAD warns Governors

Human rights group, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD has condemned the incessant killings of security agents and citizens by mostly non-state actors across the Southeast region.

The group was reacting to the recent attack on a police formation – the Safer Highway Patrol Team – stationed at Nwaezenyi in Izzi local council of Ebonyi State.

FENRAD, which had earlier urged all regional stakeholders to save the region from looming anarchy in a release on April 14, 2021, complained that there seems not to be significant improvement so far.

FENRAD, while reacting to last week security alarm by the Abia state government which uncovered planned attacks on some strategic locations in the state, explained that a public alert wasn’t enough adding that the job would have been completed if the actors behind the plot were apprehended and made to face prosecutorial trials.

The rights group through a statement by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, on Monday warned that the security situation in the Southeast, if not fully addressed, would plunged the region into a regretful state.

In that end, the group urged the Southeast governors, especially Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi – whose state has, in recent times suffered attacks – to do all he can as the chairman of the regional 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.

It also charged the Southeast governors 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 the worsening security situation.

The statement reads partly: “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 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 time, 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 also encouraged security agencies in the region to deploy all the intelligence logistics within its repertoire to forestall attacks before they happen, warning that if attacks on police and military formations persist, it won’t be long before the region becomes lawless, anarchic and chaotic.