{"id":967,"date":"2021-04-19T10:07:30","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T10:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intersociety-ng.org\/?p=967"},"modified":"2021-04-21T10:10:36","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T10:10:36","slug":"expert-paper-the-rising-state-actor-aided-insecurity-in-southeast-nigeria-and-what-the-stakeholders-must-doby-emeka-umeagbalasi-ivlp-fellow-board-chair-intl-society-for-civil-liberti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intersociety-ng.org\/expert-paper-the-rising-state-actor-aided-insecurity-in-southeast-nigeria-and-what-the-stakeholders-must-doby-emeka-umeagbalasi-ivlp-fellow-board-chair-intl-society-for-civil-liberti\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert Paper: The Rising State Actor Aided Insecurity In Southeast Nigeria And What The Stakeholders Must Do By Emeka Umeagbalasi, IVLP Fellow & Board Chair, Int\u2019l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Understanding Insecurity<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security simply means freedom from unlawful death or threat of same; danger, fears or worries and it includes security of: a citizen, people or a group of people including recognition, protection and respect for people\u2019s ethnic identity, existence, religion, development and culture. Security also includes protection and safety of individual and collective property, area, cyberspace or facility, atmosphere or environment and a written law (i.e. constitution or Act of parliament).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Insecurity<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The negative or opposite side of security is insecurity<\/u> which includes anything or anybody or any act that threatens the life and well-being of an individual or group of individuals or that threatening the peace, law, order and decency of a region or country or same threatening the safety of<\/em> environment, cyberspace or facility and a written law of a region or country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Jihad As New Security Threat In Southeast Nigeria<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Islamic jihad or threat of same is one of the newest triggers of insecurity in the Southeast Region of Nigeria and its outpost neighbors dominated and controlled by Christians. Islamic jihad or threat of same in the Southeast is divided into political <\/em>and cultural <\/em>or physical (violent attacks) and psychological (cultural) jihad. Jihad is presently on course in the Region and its outposts in Delta, Edo, Benue, Kogi, Rivers and Cross River States and it is being remotely executed by state actors using jihadist Fulani Herdsmen who are disguised or camouflaged as \u201crural cattle grazers\u201d. The state actor involvement is facilitated through the grossly lopsided Nigerian security forces especially the Nigerian Army. It is no longer hidden that the security forces provide the jihadists with cover and protection including their movement and permanent occupation of the forests, bushes and farmlands in the Southeast and its outposts or gateway States or Regions. The above findings are according to several researches and investigations by International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining Islamic Jihad<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literally, \u2018Jihad\u2019 in the world of Islam is \u201cstruggle\u201d for (1) \u2018self righteousness\u2019 so as to make paradise in life after death, (2) \u2018using one\u2019s wealth or material possession for advancement or growth of Islam\u2019 and (3) \u2018struggle or Islamic war against infidels or unbelievers (i.e. Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Heathens, etc) and apostates (i.e. act or those who renounced or abandoned Islam)\u2019. \u201cPolitical Jihad\u201d is a common modern name given to attacks and killing of non Muslims such as Christians and burning or destruction of their properties including their sacred places of worship or learning by radical Muslims.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) report of 11th<\/sup> December 2014, \u2018Jihad is a term commonly used to differentiate between violent and non violent Muslims or Islamists. The Jihadists aim to reorder Government and Society in accordance with Islamic Law or Sharia. Jihadists also see \u201cstruggle\u201d as necessary to eradicate obstacles to restoring Allah\u2019s rule on Earth and defending the Muslim Communities or \u201cUmmah\u201d against the infidels or apostates. If \u2018Ummah\u2019 (Muslim Community) is threatened by aggressors or any, the Jihadists hold that Jihad is not just a collective obligation or \u2018fard kifaya\u2019  but also an individual duty or \u2018fard ayn\u2019 that must be fulfilled by every able Muslim just like ritual prayer and fasting during Ramadan\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BBC report further clarified that \u2018Jihadists aim at (1) changing the political and social organization of the State, (2) establishing sovereignty on a territory perceived as occupied or dominated by non-Muslims<\/u> (i.e. jihadist activities of the Fulani Jihadists in Eastern Nigeria), (3) defending the \u201cUmmah\u201d or Muslim Communities from external non-Muslim threats, focusing on what the Jihadists referred to as \u201cfar-enemies\u201d and \u201cnear-enemies\u201d, (4) correcting other Muslims\u2019 behavior and (5) intimidating and marginalizing other Muslim sects. Jihadists also divide the world into \u201cthe realm of Islam\u201d (dar al-Islam) or Lands under Muslim rule where Sharia prevails; and \u201cthe realm of war\u201d (dar al-harb); or Lands not under Muslim rule and where under certain circumstances, war in defense of faith can be sanctioned. Muslim rulers and Governments who Jihadists believe have abandoned the prescriptions of Sharia are considered by them to be outside \u2018dar al-Islam\u2019 or \u201cthe realm of Islam\u201d and therefore are legitimate targets for jihadist attack.\u2019  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Actor Triggers Of Insecurity<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human triggers of insecurity are majorly divided into \u2018state actor triggers\u2019 and \u2018non state actor triggers\u2019 and to manage or tackle insecurity headlong, there must be presence and sustenance of negative peace <\/u>and positive peace<\/u>. Negative peace is the absence of physical violence while positive peace is the absence of tripod of structural violence<\/u> (i.e. politico-economic exclusion and segregation or domination such as sectional appointments and their takeover), physical violence <\/u>(i.e. killings perpetrated on the grounds of religion, ethnicity and political belief and others done outside the law) and cultural violence<\/u> (i.e. ethnic or religious hatred or profiling or labeling or stigmatization on the grounds of same or persecution on the grounds of religion and ethnicity).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unaddressed Injustices As Major Cause Of Insecurity<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from nature <\/u>or nurture <\/u>criminality perspective (i.e. activities of street criminal citizens on the basis of their criminal traits inherited from birth (nature) or that influenced by one\u2019s environment (nurture) including negative peer group influence or social inequality); non state actor triggers of insecurity are majorly derived from unaddressed state actor atrocities  such as massacres or tribal, religious, economic and citizens\u2019 injustices and other internationally prohibited acts or atrocities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violent Crackdowns Can Produce Reprisal Radicalism<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suppressive and sustenance of violent crackdowns or repeat-atrocities by successive and present state actors including the Nigerian Government and its security forces in the Southeast Region are most likely to have forced the victims and their supporters into citizens \u2018reprisal radicalism<\/u> or non state actor reprisal or defensive insecurity. Therefore, the main causes of increasing insecurity and other unsafe conditions in the Southeast Region of Nigeria are the state actors and their aided others. The culpable state actors include (1) the Southeast Governors, (2) the present Federal Government of Nigeria, (3) the Nigerian Army, (4) the Nigeria Police Force, (5) immediate past state actors including former Governors who left office in 2019 and (6) other political office holders who are now the errand boys of the Caliphate, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types Of State Actor Insecurity In Southeast Nigeria<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state actor insecurity in Southeast Nigeria can clearly be understood within the context of structural violence, physical violence and cultural violence. Through Government policy of structural violence<\/u>, <\/em>the Southeast Region especially since 2015 has been a victim of sustained exclusion and segregation in the appointment of top security officers and judicial officers. The Region is also facing chronic exclusion in top federal ministerial, agency and department appointments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are to the extent that no officer of the Southeast is presently among the 25 serving Assistant Inspectors General of Police or Army\u2019s General Officers\u2019 Commanding. No officer of the Region is also among the head of the country\u2019s 17 Police Zonal Commands headed by AIG. The number of Igbos or Southeast citizens in the country\u2019s Armed Forces and police high command positions is shrinking day in day out. As part of the present Federal Government\u2019s policy of exclusion and segregation, little or zero efforts have been made to redress the gross imbalances. The situation is worsened by the conspiracy or lukewarm attitude or deaf silence of the present Governors of the Southeast. Specifically, the number of Igbos in the ranks of Police CPs, DCPs, ACPs and CSPs is going down chronically so also their counterparts or equivalents in internal and external spy policing and paramilitaries. As it stands, the number of Southeast Police CPs with upward of two years to retire is not more than five, out of over 110 serving Commissioners of Police in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In top duty postings across the country done by Nigerian Army back in January 2021, involving 47 Major Generals, 163 Brig Generals, 450 Colonels, 309 Majors, 251 Captains and 322 Lieutenants, totaling 1,546 Army officers; it was shocking to note that out of the 47 Major Generals, North took 32 including 27 Muslims and South took 15 involving Southwest seven including Muslims, South-south five and Southeast only three. In the list of 163 Big Generals posted or deployed across the country, North took 110 including 84 Muslims and South took 53 involving Southwest 23 including Muslims, South-south 20 and Southeast only 10. A further peep into the remaining postings involving 450 Colonels, 309 Majors, 251 Captains and 322 Lieutenants also indicated same gross Northern Muslim domination and control and shrinking of the Southeast slots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These glaring imbalances or exclusions are contrary to and grave violation of Section 14 (3) or regional and ethnic balancing, Section 10 or prohibition of adoption of a particular religion as a state religion, Section 217 (3) or reflection of regional or ethnic or religious balancing in the appointment of the officer corps of the Armed Forces and Section 42 or prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, gender, creed or class; all provided in the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explaining Government (State-Actor) Physical violence In The Southeast: Southeast Region has also been gravely victimized by the atrocious state actors especially the Nigerian Army and its appointing and supervising authorities, leading to massacre of no fewer than 700 unarmed and defenseless citizens of the Region between August 2015 and Nov 2020 and maiming of not less than 800 others. Hundreds were also abducted and dozens disappeared till date. The Army abductees included 550 citizens of Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu who resided in Obigbo and environs in Rivers State, abducted in Oct-Nov 2020 and held secretly without trial in Northern Nigeria for over four months. While 283 of them were located and freed by courts, over 270 are still held secretly till date. Many of the 60 women among the female abductees, between the ages 20 and 39 were sexually assaulted and abused during over four months of their captivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Killings and maiming by soldiers, police and other security agencies of the Federal Government in Southeast Region included: (1) the 30th<\/sup> August 2015 massacre of 40 defenseless citizens of Judeo-Christian faith during peaceful self determination protests in Onitsha, Enugu, Yenagoa, Uyo, Port Harcourt and Asaba; (2) 2nd<\/sup> and 17th<\/sup> Dec 2015 massacre of 30 defenseless citizens of same faith in Onitsha;  (3) 18th<\/sup> and 29th<\/sup> Jan 2016  massacre of 20 defenseless citizens of Judeo-Christian faith during same peaceful protests in Aba; (4)  9th<\/sup> Feb 2016 massacre of 30 unarmed protesters in the same Aba; (5) 29th<\/sup> and 30th<\/sup> May 2016 massacre of 140 defenseless citizens of Judeo-Christian faith during the world Igbo Heroes Day in Onitsha and Nkpor (110 deaths) and Asaba (30 deaths); (6) 20th Jan 2017 massacre of 20 unarmed protesters (pro-Trump rally) in Port Harcourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others are: (7) 11th<\/sup> to 14th<\/sup> Sept 2017 massacre of over 180 unarmed and defenseless citizens of Judeo-Christians faith in Ogwe, Aba, Isiala-Ngwa and Umuahia, all in Abia State, (8) 23rd<\/sup> August 2020 Army massacre of no fewer than 30 Judeo-Christian worshippers and sports activists in Emene, Enugu State; (9) Oct 2020 massacre by Army\/Police of over 50 civilians in the Southeast, (10) Oct\/Nov 2020 massacre by Army of not less than 102 defenseless Igbo citizens in Obigbo, Rivers State an offshoot of Igbo Southeast Region; and (11) Jan 2021 killings by Nigerian Army in Orlu, Imo State where about ten defenseless residents including six rural farmers were killed. In all the butcheries above highlighted, no single perpetrator has been held to account or brought to justice till date and the victims have neither been adequately compensated nor taken well care of. Scores have also died as a result of abandonment or hunger or lack of adequate medical treatments and many of their children dropped out of school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explaining State Actor And Non State Actor cultural violence In The Southeast: Southeast Region and its outposts or Igbo areas in Kogi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Cross River States have also fallen victim particularly since mid 2015. In other words, the Region has suffered years of ethnic or religious hatred or profiling or labeling or stigmatization; all on the grounds of the ethnic and religious identities of the citizens of the Region and its named outposts. They have also consistently faced persecution on the same cultural grounds or discrimination. The cultural violence against the Region also has state actor and non state contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, promoted and aided by state actors, violent non state actors like Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen have been aided by security forces of the Federal Government particularly the Nigerian Army to invade and violently seize and occupy ancestral bushes, farmlands and forests belonging to the indigenous People of the Southeast Region and its outposts in Kogi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Cross River States. By our available research statistics, not less than 700 farmlands, bushes and forests have been occupied or attacked by the Jihadist Herdsmen in the Region and no fewer than 400 rural Igbo Christians hacked to death by the same jihadists who masquerade as \u201ccattle herders\u201d.  Scores have also been bribed or abducted and forced or hypnotized into becoming Muslims against their will.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government aided jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks and killings in the Southeast Region and its outposts are the first in recent times and occurred first in April 2016 at Nimbo-Uzouwani in Enugu State where no fewer than 48 Igbo rural Christians were hacked to death. Another major killing of rural Southeast Christians took place in March in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and Eha-Amufu in Enugu State where more than 30 rural Christians were hacked to death. There was yet another report in this April (2021) in some communities in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State where not less than 13 rural Igbo Christians were killed by jihadist Fulani Herdsmen. Weeks ago in Kibiya district of, Kano State, nine Igbo Christians were tracked, abducted, hacked to death and secretly buried by suspected jihadist Fulani Herdsmen assailants. Cases of other killings, abductions and sexual violence by the same jihadists have also been reported particularly since 2016 in different parts of the Region and its outposts especially in Kogi, Benue, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Edo States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural violence is also visited on Southeast Region and its outposts by state actors especially the drafted security forces of the Federal Government of Nigeria. For instance, since August 2015, Southeast Region and its major gateway neighbors have been under military and police siege, to the extent that as at December 2020, not less than 6,300 military and police roadblocks were independently found to have been mounted or maintained on the Southeast and South-south roads and between August 2015 and Dec 2020, not less than N335Billion was illicitly raised and pocketed by drafted Police and Military personnel and their supervising authorities who engage in maddening and unchecked roadblock corrupt practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings were according to research investigations carried out by Intersociety<\/strong> between Oct 2019 and Dec 2020. Citizens of the Southeast Region and their outpost brothers and sisters were also visited with indiscriminate clamped downs by drafted security forces, leading to many detained without trial and scores either killed extra judicially or disappeared without traces till date. Ethnic and religious profiling of the citizens of the Region and their outpost brothers and sisters has also remained very common and rife among the drafted security personnel especially the personnel of the Nigerian Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaring State Actor Structural Violence In The Southeast<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structural violence, promoted and sustained by the present Government of Nigeria has taken roots in the Southeast Region and its outposts especially since mid 2015. This can clearly be seen in the appointment of heads of top security formations in the Region and its outpost or gateway neighbors especially the heads of Army and Police formations and systematic exclusion of the citizens of the Region from such plum security slots or positions. These skewed and grossly lopsided securitization arrangements have put the security and safety of the citizens of the Region and their properties including lands and boundaries at high risk and danger and made citizens of Fulani-Hausa Muslims residing in the Region to be more secured and protected than the indigenous citizens of the Region.  For instance, in a recent study conducted by Intersociety, <\/strong>the following findings were made:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southeast Gateway States<\/u><\/em>: in Benue State, a major gateway into the Southeast, the Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke is Major Gen Yekini Adeyemi (Southwest Muslim), the Commander of 401 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi is Brigadier Gen Samai\u2019la Mohammed Uba (Fulani-Hausa Muslim), the Commanding Officer of 72 Special Forces Battalion, Makurdi is Lt Col A.D. Alhassan (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and the State Commissioner of Police is Audu Madaki. In Edo State, another major gateway into the Southeast, the Brigade Commander of 4 Brigade, Benin is Brigadier Gen MA Sadiq (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and the State Commissioner of Police is Aliyu Ogbadu. In Delta State, the State of origin of large outpost Igbo population, the Brigade Commander of 63 Brigade; Asaba is Brigadier Gen A Idris (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and the State Commissioner of Police is Ari Mohammed Alli (Fulani-Hausa Muslim). In Rivers State, a major gateway into the Southeast, the GOC, 6 Division, Port-Harcourt is Major Gen Sambo G Mohammed (Fulani-Hausa Muslim). In Cross River State, a major Southeast neighbor, the State Commissioner of Police is Sikiru Akande (Southwest Muslim) and in Akwa Ibom State, another Southeast gateway, the Brigade Commander of 2 Brigade, Uyo is Brigadier Gen Faruk Mijinyawa (Fulani-Hausa Muslim). The Police Zonal Commands in Calabar and Benin are also as at weeks back headed by Fulani-Hausa Muslims (AIG Zaki Ahmed incumbent AIG for Zone 6 and another is for Zone 5). In neighboring Bayelsa State, Air Vice Marshall Aliyu Bello (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) is the Air Officer Commanding Nigerian Air Force Base in Yenagoa.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southeast Region<\/u><\/em>: Major Gen Toareed Lagbaja, GOC, 82 Division, Enugu (Southwest Muslim), Brig Gen GS Mohammed (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and Commander, 82 Division Finance Corps, Brigadier Gen Ibrahim Tukura (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and Brigade Commander, 34 Brigade, Obinze, Brig Gen M. Ibrahim (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and Brigade Commander, 14 Brigade, Ohafia), Col Abdulsalam Abubakar Sambo (Fulani-Hausa Muslim) and Cantonment Commandant of the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Lt Col O. Sadiq (Muslim) and Commanding Officer, 24 Army Support Engineering, Navy Commodore Suleiman Haruna Abdullahi, Commandant, Navy School of Finance & Logistics, Owerrinta, Abia State, Abakiliki, Nasiru Mohammed, Commissioner of Police, Imo State (Fulani-Hausa Muslim), Aliyu Garba, Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State (Fulani Hausa Muslim), Mohammed Aliyu, Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command (Fulani-Hausa Muslim.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest are:  Monday Bella Kuryas, Commissioner of Police, Anambra State (Hausa Christian) and Janet Agbede, Commissioner of Police, Abia State. Police Zones 9 (Umuahia) and 13 (Ukpo-Anambra) are also in the hands of same Fulani-Hausa Muslims and as at weeks ago, were headed by AIGs Zana Mohammed Ibrahim and Hafiz Mohammed. In all these, the only Igbo found among top security headship in the Region is the newly posted Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Air Force Ground Training Command, Enugu, Air Vice Marshall Frank Oparah who took over from Air Vice Marshall Idi Amin (Fulani-Hausa Muslim).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four Culpability Suspicions In The Present Southeast Insecurity<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suspicions over rising insecurity in the Southeast Region and its key outposts are majorly divided into the following four directions: (1) possibility of citizens\u2019 reprisal radicalism following years of unaddressed injustices, (2) possibility of clandestine violent involvement by some malicious officials or agents of the Nigerian Government in furtherance of the Government\u2019s anti Igbo policy in the context of criminal labeling or stigmatization or ethnic profiling; all done for purpose of finding flimsy excuses to turn the state\u2019s instruments of violence against the population and their properties, (3) possibility of emergence of  \u2018urban gunmen\u2019 linked to jihadist Fulani Herdsmen clandestinely used by Nigerian Government to make the Southeast Region ungovernable and un-inhabitable by camouflaging and attacking Government facilities in the Region and blaming the same on criminalized indigenous non state actors and (4) confirmed terror-jihadist attacks by the Nigerian Army aided Fulani Herdsmen terrorists in the Region. These are in addition to the fact that the present Federal Government of Nigeria has committed series of atrocities against the Southeast and its outpost territories and populations but adamantly refused to acknowledge and address them; refusal of which amounts to pushing the Igbo Nation to the wall and radicalizing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What The State Actors And Non State Actor Stakeholders Must Do<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n