From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Security and policy analyst, development economist, and public communications expert Chris Emeka Oha has proposed solutions to address the persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s South East geopolitical zone.
Holding a Master’s in Intelligence and Security Studies (MISS) from the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, Oha, an Igbo from Enugu State, expressed concern over the region’s escalating security challenges in a statement to The Sun.
Oha argued that the South East lacks a sincere commitment to tackling insecurity, stating, “The South East is not yet ready to truly and sincerely fight insecurity in the region.” He advocated for a methodical state policing system similar to Amotekun in the South West or Hisbah in the North, criticising the governors’ current efforts as “mere tokenism”.
He warned that without a robust approach, issues like the Eha Amufu killings, Ebonyi communal conflicts, and “unknown gunmen” will persist, resembling terrorism.
Highlighting the overwhelmed state of the police and military, Oha noted the South East’s failure to fill its 2023 and 2024 Army recruitment slots, a concern raised by the GOC 82 Division, Enugu. He urged governors to convene an emergency security summit with retired and serving security experts, including police, DSS, NSCDC, and NDLEA officers, to develop a regional strategy. “Can’t the governors follow the Amotekun model?” he asked, suggesting dialogue with the Eastern Security Network (ESN) for a roundtable discussion.
Drawing from the South West’s Amotekun, led by retired security officers, Oha cited its success and the active role of local groups like Agbekoya in Oyo State. For Enugu, he recommended leveraging retired officers like former Inspector-General Ogbonna Onovo, General Christian Ugwu (retd), and AVM Cletus Udeagulu, alongside serving Major Generals and NIA operatives. He proposed an Enugu Security Summit, with the governor present, to harness their expertise.
Oha suggested forming an Enugu State General Security Taskforce, led by a figure like Onovo, with commanders in each senatorial zone (Enugu East, West, North) who are retired DSS, police, or military officers familiar with local terrains. Funded by the Enugu Security Trust Fund, the task force would offer minimum wages and perks like health insurance, mobilising local youths, including reformed thugs, to reduce unemployment and gather intelligence. He also advocated infiltrating bandit camps using Igbo-speaking Muslim youths and those fluent in Fulfulde or Hausa, noting their presence in Nsukka and Ezeagu.
Oha stressed the interplay of security and economics, proposing a South East railway system in his economic plan to the South East Development Commission. His NDA thesis linked underdevelopment to non-state actors, implicating some traditional rulers’ ties with herders.
He urged scrutiny of traditional ruler elections and support for the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) bill to secure porous borders with Kogi and Benue. “Security is local,” he concluded, calling for tailored models to curb insecurity.