By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
A human rights advocacy group, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has criticized Southeast governors for failing to address the worsening security crisis in the region.
Speaking at the Southeast Stakeholders Summit on Peace and Security in Enugu, the Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Sam Amadi, condemned the reluctance of leaders to confront the issue head-on.
“Our leaders have not addressed this issue. They are afraid, looking at the body language of someone in Sokoto,” Amadi said.
He emphasized that the right to safety is a fundamental human right, yet it is being compromised daily due to weak governance and lack of accountability.
“Insecurity—whether born from conflict or other causes—creates an environment of fear and lawlessness. We must reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every citizen can live in peace and access their fundamental rights,” Amadi added.
Declaring the summit open, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, represented by his Special Adviser on Legal Matters, Osinachi Nnajieze, stressed the need for a holistic approach to security.
“With all sense of modesty, we have done in a short while what people have not witnessed in eight years. Security, peace, justice, and policies must all come into play,” Nnajieze stated.
He noted that Enugu had installed CCTV cameras to enhance security and warned that security cannot be achieved in a country where certain areas remain dark and unsafe at night.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Hashimu Argungu, warned police operatives against using insurgency and Biafra agitation as excuses for corruption and extortion in the region.
“The Commission is no longer comfortable with the abuse of office by some security personnel. Roadblocks have become illegal toll gates where motorists are forced to pay under duress,” Argungu, represented by PSC Public Relations Officer Ikechukwu Ani, stated.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, accused the Federal Government of neglecting the Southeast, allowing insecurity to fester.
“The violence we see in the Southeast is man-made and has made it difficult for people to live their lives normally. The Federal Government appears to have abandoned the region, as there is no sustained effort to address the issue,” Osigwe said.
He warned that the worsening insecurity was crippling the region’s economy, as many Igbo people were now afraid to visit their hometowns or invest in businesses.
Keynote speaker, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, a specialist in International Human Rights Law, identified cultism, porous borders, lack of coordination among security agencies, and disregard for proper policing as major drivers of insecurity in the Southeast.
Stakeholders at the summit emphasized the need for justice, human rights protection, and addressing the root causes of insecurity to restore peace in the region.