Is Igbo Land (South East) A Conquered Territory (A Must Read)

In the week ending April 18, 2021,  reports filtered through social media over an alleged meeting championed by President Mohammed Buhari from London with its Agenda being to institute a security formation for south east Nigeria following recent unrest.

In attendance were:

1) Maj-Gen Abubakar Maikobi (GOC, 82 Division, Nigerian Army).
2) Air Vice-Marshal Idi Amin (Air Officer Commanding).
3) Yusuf Ishaku (Director, DSS Anambra).
4) A. J. Ibrahim (Director, DSS Abia State).
5) H. E. Abdullah (Director, DSS Ebonyi).
6) B. Likinyo (Director, DSS Enugu).
7) Baba Tijani (AIG, Zone 9, Umuahia).
8]Awosola Awotinde (CP, Ebonyi State).
9) Ahmadu Abdulrahman (CP, Enugu State).
10) Rabiu Ladodo (CP, Imo State).

These were the 10 security officials involved in the meeting that set up a combined security for the 5 South East states. Hold on, in all these 10 names there is no single Igbo person on a decision table that the lives and properties of the Igbos is the subject matter- distasteful.

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The Igbos are advised to reject the outcome of such a meeting and its implementation as it will never be in their favor. A trip down memory lane reminds us of the Berlin conference of 1884 which saw the scrambling and partitioning of Africa by the colonial masters and no single African was there.

We can all agree that in all 54 countries of Africa, the decisions made that day were never favorable to any of them. That conference merged three incompatible tribes, immiscible ideologies, contrasting religion and forced them to co-exist as Nigeria, a union that has never born responsible offsprings. I ask again- How do we think the outcome of the security formation meeting will be favorable to the Igbos.

While we worry about one meeting, let us be reminded that this is one of many mayhems to come. The disaster on the table in itself is the non inclusion of Igbos in the top security cadre of the country.

Look at the names above and their portfolio, these are the top cadre of decision makers in the south east and there is no single soul of Igbo origin. The 4 major service chiefs in the country;

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General Lucky Irabor- Chief of Defence
Lieutenant General Attahiru Ibrahim- Chief of Army staff
Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo- Chief of Naval staff
Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao- Chief of Air staff

This is happening in a country that screams quota system when it’s time to let Adamu with 101 jamb score into the University of Nigeria to study medicine. Same country has binned its quota doctrines while appointing service chiefs.

Preachers of peace say posterity will remember- No- posterity wouldn’t remember. The Igbos have to take these bulls by the horn and make demands.

A look at primary functions of service chiefs will give a birds eye view of the havoc to come.

“Primary function of service chiefs are to formulate and execute policies and programmes geared towards the highest attainment of National Security and operational competence of the Armed Forces namely; the Army, Navy and Air Force”.

With the inherent bigotry in every Nigerian, and the steaming insecurity challenges in the south east and the non inclusion of Igbos, what is the Igbo’s fate in security policy making?

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Note that this is growing beards at a time when the insecurity brewing in the south east is growing by a 20% increase per month. Crawled in from Ebonyi, made a brief stop at Enugu, then Onitsha and currently growing horns at Imo and Abia.

It is uncertain whose affliction we should cure, if it is fulani herdsmen, or unknown gunmen or as alleged, Biafra extremists. One thing is certain, there is an alarming increase in security unrest which has claimed lives in scores. Security operatives are abandoning their duties in droves, while citizens are scared and investors are taking to their heels.

Progressively, local security was illegally constituted- the Eastern Security Network but it met it’s waterloo with incessant attacks from the government.

Most recently, in response to the fire festivals by unknown gunmen and their penchant for setting prison inmates free, south east governors held a meeting that saw the launch of “Ebube Agu” an indiginous security network whose activities are projected to oversee and monitor the activities of vigilante groups in the region.

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Is Ebube Agu the right step to take now? Many ask

Ebube Agu is an overdue step that should have been taken a long time ago just like its counterparts in Yoruba states- Amotekun. This outfit promises to harmonize all security operations in the south east under an umbrella.

Nagging questions on the minds of people are- Will they be equipped accordingly? What is the supremacy of the police and “unknown gunmen” over Ebube agu?

In all these, If everything goes as planned, it would be a progresive movement towards tackling insecurity from the grassroot.

Let it be known that the continuing exclusion of Southeast officers from security formations in SE is unconstitutional. It’s also dangerous & suspicious.It stokes popular distrust & a sense that SE is a conquered territory and it justifies the case for Biafra. It also shows how deep the hate for the Igbos is.

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The Nigerian security agencies should understand the danger of such action.

It is capable of making Southeast officers serving in security agencies feel distrusted. The implication of such strategy could be counterproductive & catastrophic.

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