Essential Need to Sustain Relative Peace in Enugu
Okwudiri Ngwoke writes on the need for Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to investigate the petitions written by some Non Governmental Organisations over clandestine activities of an individual threatening to disrupt peace in the Coal City state.
Enugu State made national headline news recently for developments traceable to two essential causes. In the first place it is obvious that the state Government’s promise of disruptive socio-economic development has started yielding fruits. Then, it has also become apparent that the insecurity currently threatening national peace and development could be traced to some disgraced former officers of Nigeria security agencies.
These two factors combined to hand over Enugu State prime mention in various news platforms. The most disturbing aspect of the twin development was the alleged involvement of the Nigeria Army in the perpetration of land-grabbing through intimidation and name-dropping.
With a report in the Arise News Now of January 15, 2024, Nigerians were alerted to the dangerous development in Enugu State, where a business man that boasts of influence in the military goes about with a retinue of soldiers creating panic and intimidating ordinary residents of the state.
According to the global television channel, “the Arewa Coalition for Human Rights and Security and the Human Rights Writers’ Association (HURIWA), have raised concerns over an alleged misuse of military escorts by a prominent Enugu State-based businessman, said to be a retired lance corporal in the Nigeria Army.
Quoting a statement by the coalition, AriseNews said the civil society organisation condemned the inappropriate deployment of the army personnel to private individuals.
“The former lance corporal has been accused of moving with a high number of military personnel creating tension in Enugu and its environs. The unlawful use of military escorts for private interest not only undermines the credibility of the military, but also raises questions of justice and fairness in a democratic society,” the report noted.
There were other reports in various national newspapers and online platforms.
But, worried by the growing insecurity in the country, a civil rights and good governance group based in Kaduna, Transparency Centre Network (TCN) petitioned President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Senator Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru.
TCN complained of the grave implications of the nefarious act of allowing a business man to move about with a convoy of combatready soldiers to intimidate the civil populace. The group disclosed that it is in possession of “copious videos showing the numerous land grabbing exploits of one ex-soldier and his illegal activities in company of army personnel.”
In the petition signed by its Executive Secretary, Comrade Musa Abdullahi, TCN declared: “It is our contention that the exsoldier is not entitled to military or Army escort and, such personnel which may have been unlawfully and unjustly assigned to him must be withdrawn immediately to halt their further use in numerous illegal activities.”
While pointing out that the impostor leverages on his perceived closeness to a very highly-placed Army Officer, TCN noted: “It is worrisome and raises serious questions, to say the least, particularly with regard to the propriety of such deployment. Particularly, in the face of current hydra-headed security challenges facing the nation, worsened by dearth or inadequate personnel to tackle it, to find tangible reason for assigning such number of military personnel of not less than 10 soldiers whose only duty is to roam with a name-dropper.”
Also, a pro-democracy group in the state, the Save Enugu Group (SEG), in a Save Our Souls (SOS) message charged President Tinubu to intervene and stem the activities of “a strong man terrorising residents of the state, using men in military uniforms.”
According to the message signed by James Ezema on behalf of the group, “beyond brazen intimidation of residents, the former lance corporal, has been using men in military uniforms to dispossess hapless citizens of their properties.”
Giving a background to the character and person of the ex-soldier, SEG remarked: “The man in question, who fronts as a businessman in Enugu State lays claim to the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) land and property, including other adjoining plots within the neighbourhood.
“So far, there are allegations that the exsoldier has turned into a flourishing land grabber in the state, dispossessing some communities of their ancestral properties through shoddy means.
“Our preliminary findings indicate that the culprit is a Nigerian army deserter and has reportedly claimed the military rank of Captain. His last known place of service was the 65 Brigade, Sokoto.