Human Rights and Pro-democracy group, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development FENRAD, has decried the killings of security agents and citizens by mostly non-state actors happening across the southeast region.
The rights group lamented that the recent attack on a police formation at Nwaezenyi in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi State.
FENRAD, in a release by its Executive Director, Nelson Nnanna Nwafor and made available to DAILY POST on Monday, warned that 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.
The pro-democracy group recalled 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, positing that the fight against criminalities would be completed if the actors behind this plot are apprehended and made to face prosecutorial trials.
It urged the governors of the region, especially the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi 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 Southeast Governors forum in ensuring that the zone does not tag along the Northeast where the federal and state governments are fighting to fend off forces of domestic and transborder terror.
FENRAD urged 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 and youth 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 Ebubeagu outfit. Wider consultation is required to ensure that peace and security of lives and property in the region is not undermined”.
FENRAD urged 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 depicts the Hobbessian 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 outfit in the region so that it will be easier to contain local insecurity issue through local security outfit working with law enforcement agencies.”
