/ Southeast: A Region Under Siege

Rising Attacks On Security Personnel, Infrastructure Put Zone On Edge

WITH heavy shootings in the early hours of last Monday, unknown gunmen who chanted what looked like war songs almost reduced to rubble the Imo State Police Command headquarters and the Nigeria Correctional Service facility, both located in Owerri, the state capital. Shielded by thick darkness and armed with sophisticated weapons and 10 Toyota Hilux vans that aided their movement, they succeeded in perpetrating what stands today as the highest onslaught against security facilities in the Southeast zone in the last couple of months. They reportedly operated for over one hour, setting ablaze about 50 operational vehicles parked at the premises of the Police

Command headquarters. At the Nigeria Correctional Service facility, they freed about 1,884 inmates.

The attackers seemingly had a field day, as they could not be repelled even though the facilities were located close to the headquarters of the state MOPOL and the Military Cantonment in Obinze. No enforcement came from these outfits and so far, no arrest has been made in connection with the incident to the chagrin of many Nigerians.

But the greater worry is that while the federal and state governments were still counting their losses and trying to unravel the attackers and their mission the day after, unknown gunmen burned a police station in Ehime Mbano local council of the state. The incident occurred less than one hour after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo left Owerri after inspecting the level of damage on the Police Command headquarters and Correctional Centre in Owerri.

As at the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack. In fact, an attempt by the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to hang the attack on the neck of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB) had since been rebuffed. IPOB did not only deny responsibility for the attack, they also accused the Federal Government of sponsoring attacks on security personnel and infrastructure in the Southeast in order to “militarise the zone”, intimidate its people and frustrate their clamour for the Presidency in 2023.

As the government and IPOB were still trading blames, last Thursday morning, unknown gunmen again attacked the Mbieri Divisional Police Headquarters situated in the Mbaitoli local council of Imo State. The gunmen were said to have struck around 1.00am and immediately released all suspects in custody at the police facility. The hoodlums also took away the phones belonging to suspects and the police operatives at the police station. The attack was the sixth Divisional Police Headquarters to be attacked between February and April in the state.

Nevertheless, the latest attacks on security personnel and facilities in Owerri have brought to the fore the level of insecurity in the Southeast as none of the five states is entirely at peace currently. While Abia, Imo and Anambra states are confronted by attacks on security officials and infrastructure, Enugu and Ebonyi states are dealing with attacks on innocent farmers by suspected herdsmen.

For example, on March 28, 2021, gun- wielding herdsmen killed over 20 persons and destroyed property worth millions of naira in Egedegede, Obeagu and Amuzu communities in Ishielu local council of Ebonyi State. The invaders pursued the natives into their farmlands, homes and anywhere their legs could carry them before snuffing lives out of them. A day after the Ebonyi incident, farmers who went to their farmlands in Igga community, Uzo- Uwani local council of Enugu State, were attacked by suspected herdsmen. In the fight that ensued, no fewer than six persons were killed while several others sustained injuries. Tension has continued to build in the area since that incident.

On March 31, gunmen invaded the venue of a political meeting between former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo, and youths of Isuofia community, in Aguata local council of Anambra State.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the venue in a Toyota Corona car and started shooting. They killed three policemen attached to the governorship aspirant and made away with their service rifles. They also abducted the state Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Emeka Ezenwanne. Meanwhile, there had been series of attacks in the state before this particular incident.

These include the attack on a police station in Mgbakwu in Awka North local council Sunday, on March 21, this year. Some arms and ammunition were reportedly carted away from the station during the attack. The attack was the fourth police station torched in similar circumstances within a week in the state. No fewer than 10 police officers, four naval officers and two officials of the Correctional Service were killed in the incidents.

The gunmen, who willingly engaged security officials, disappeared after overpowering them. In Awkuzu, Ekwulobia, Omogho and Mkpologwu, residents experienced the decimation of police facilities and the officials.

Last month, unknown gunmen, who drove in both a salon car and a black Mercedes Benz 4Matic SUV, attacked different police patrol teams and killed four officials. The Police later confirmed in a statement that the gunmen opened fire on policemen deployed to patrol the two locations but did not confirm casualty figures.

In another attack, two members of staff of the Nigeria Correctional Service ( NCS), Awka, were escorting inmates to the court in Ekwulobia before unknown assailants gunned them down and released the inmates.

This was shortly followed by the attack at Mgbakwu Police Station in Awka North. Two naval officials on duty at a checkpoint were also killed and their rifles taken away.

In Abia State, there are also records of policemen being killed at checkpoints. The latest occurred last month at a police checkpoint in Agueze Amaogudu Abiriba, Ohafia local council where three policemen were killed. The officers whose names were given as Inspector Austin Ugwu, Inspector Longinus Ugochukwu and Constable Ama Ifeanyi were on duty at the checkpoint when the gunmen arrived and pumped bullets into them. They made away with their service rifles after certifying that they were dead.

Indeed, another worrisome dimension was added to that of Abia State last Thursday when pupils of Union Primary School, Afaraukwu in Umuahia North local council saw an object that was later confirmed to be a bomb in their classroom and alerted their teacher.

Following the incident, the state government shut down the school. The development has sent shivers down the spines of not only the state government but also residents. Meanwhile, the authorities are still investigating how the object got into the classroom. No doubt, the spate of insecurity in the zone has put fears in the minds of the residents. And this is further being fuelled by the fact that the motives of the attackers are not known yet. Some residents insist that it is part of the several ploys to unleash mayhem on the zone after demobilising the security architecture but others simply don’t have a clue.

Observations showed that as a result of the incidents, police checkpoints, which used to be rampant on the roads, have disappeared.

“As a result of the incidents, police checkpoints, which used to be rampant on the roads, have disappeared. The operatives appear to have been called back to man their stations. Hardly can policemen be found in their uniforms on the streets