Sprouting South-East turbulence: Leaders of the zone must concert blaming efforts
While the scourge of security threats from bandit and terrorist operations in Nigeria have largely been known to be a ravaging character of the North, it is saddening that the extending tentacles of the menaces are spreading their wings to other parts of the Country. The South most recently have begun to have a taste of the scourge. The South-East in further delineation, is beginning to experience brands of security turbulence which hitherto have not been the case in the geo-political zone. The reign of unrest, kidnapping and banditry are apparently growing from fetus stage to becoming an active phenomenon in the zone. While the South-South has been known to have fairly been a zone of militant unrest over a period of time, pacifying therapy disbursed to aggrieved formations had made the zone experience some level of rest from militancy. However, recent developments are beginning to give red signals of perceivable hatching of turbulent embryos.
While the South-West in the Southern region division has remained relatively isolated from the heightening of turbulent onslaughts, the South-East in recent times, has from all perceivable angles been reflecting danger signals which call for prompt action to cut the rising stems of offshoots of anarchy. Although, the Southern Governors had recently met in May arriving at a 12 points consensus in what is being tagged the “Asaba Resolution” in which security remains a subject of central attention, the need for stronger concerted efforts towards the rising storms in the South-East is sine qua non. Although, some gladiators have put argument forward to challenge the legality of the Governors’ move, it is arguable that such perception may hold no sway in the light of the prevailing realities starring at the South and the Country in entirety.
The rising resonance of unrest in the South-East is gradually degenerating to attract much concern. Disturbing reports came to public ears on Sunday of the escapades of suspected herdsmen who unleashed terror on some Ebonyi communities, killing at least 30 persons.
Report revealed that the gunmen attacked Odoke, Ndiobasi and Obakotara communities in the Ebonyi Local Government Area. It was reported that the gunmen who arrived at the communities around 3:00am, Sunday Morning, were armed with guns and machetes.
In another train, suspected Fulani herdsmen were also reported to have attacked Ekpoffo in Eha-Amufu Community, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State on Friday, slaughtering four persons, with about seven others who were reportedly injured severely. Reports have it that the victims were murdered in the early hours of Friday by the suspected herders.
It would be recalled that controversy has continued to trail the murder of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak on Sunday morning by six bandits in Owerri, Imo State. The State’s police command had in a despising response said the deceased did not inform them of his movement before he was killed. The Command in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Bala Elkana, titled, ‘Murder of Ahmed Gulak by armed bandits,’ had alluded to the claim that the politician left his hotel room in Owerri on Sunday morning to catch a flight at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, without informing the police despite the security situation in the state. \
The statement had read partly: “On the 30/5/2021, at about 07:20hrs, armed bandits intercepted and attacked a Toyota Camry cab carrying Ahmed Gulak and two others who were on their way to Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight. Ahmed Gulak left his room at Protea Hotel without informing the Police nor sister agencies in view of the fragile security situation in the South East and Imo in particular.”
It is high time stakeholders in the South-East coordinated sincere efforts towards addressing the rising turbulence within the zone. The necessity for such is paramount to avert a degeneration of the prevailing state of affair to uncontrollable and unmanageable degrees, such as is currently witnessed in the Northern part of the Country. It has been established that the unconcerted posture of Northern stakeholders towards emerging security threats in the region, have had its strong impact in the escalation and broadening of the scourge of terrorism and banditry now ravaging the region. The lack-lustre posture demonstrated over time on the threats of insecurity in the region, degenerated to sprouting phenomena brewing storms of turbulence at unmanageable degree.
It is paramount for leaders in the South-East and all relevant stakeholders to muster efforts with consensus on addressing the fledgling signals of apparent collusion to overrun the region with turbulence. No social turbulence grows to unmanageable height in one night: It is the lackadaisical posture and failure to manage the seed of social threats which grow to the height of turbulence where management of same becomes a rigmarole. It is therefore, essential for leading functionaries in the zone, particularly the State Governors to coordinate efforts among stakeholders across the zone to bring reason to table on how to strategically address common security threats now finding expression to establish footholds in ravaging the zone. Prolonged insensivity to the sprouting wings of disturbances in the zone may degenerate to inconceivable anarchy, if prudential actions are not deployed appropriately. While every part of the Country would have a touch of the impact, the exact setting of turbulence would remain the immediate sufferer of the scourge. It is thus, demanding that leaders of the region coordinate measures to bring situations in the zone under control.
