The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop marginalizing security officers from the Southeast (Igbo) in the hierarchy of the state commands in the region.
HURIWA called for the immediate reorganization of the hierarchy of State Commands of security forces in the South East to allow indigenes head them.
The frontline advocacy group lamented the deliberate scheming out of officers from the South East heading the states commands of all of the segments of the security forces.
HURIWA stated this in statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf.
According to the group: “We condemn the attacks on security agents by mostly hired mercenaries from outside of the South East of Nigeria, and we ask President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the toxic marginalisation of South East of Nigeria in the security forces for peace to reign
“One of the fundamental causes of the emerging security challenges in the South East of Nigeria is the lack of representation of the people of the South East region amongst some of the heads of State Commands of the Directorate of State Services; Nigerian Police Force; Army, Air force and Navy which at the moment are made of persons from mostly Fulani Muslim Bloc.
“This is one of the reasons why these targeted attacks by external forces especially from armed Fulani herdsmen in the South East of Nigeria are happening and like the attacks at the correctional centre and police commands in Owerri, Imo State a few days ago, there was no counter efforts by the security forces domiciled in the South East of Nigeria against these well-coordinated attacks. We think these security service sabotaged and undermined the public safety of the citizens of South East of Nigeria because they feel they are not from the region”.
The right group lamented that Northerners are in charge of most security architecture in the Southeast.
HURIWA added: “We are shocked that the powers that be in Abuja carefully selected and posted only Fulani Moslem officers to oversee the commands of the armed forces in the South East and this is the only place whereby officers from mostly one religious group are pre-selected posted to man all the States’ Commands of all the structures of the armed forces and Police even when there is no other geopolitical zone whereby you find officers from one ethno –religious bloc strategically heading the armed forces and so this is why the armed Fulani attacks have continued to happen in South East and the attackers are deliberately left to escape by their kinsmen who are in charge of all the hierarchies of the armed forces working in the South East of Nigeria.”
The prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group said the Ebubeagu scheme which is reportedly the new regional security vigilante formed by the South East governors was the “outcome of a meeting in Owerri between Igbo speaking governors and the following Northern Muslims-: Maj-Gen Abubakar Maikobi (GOC, 82 Division, Nigerian Army), Air Vice-Marshall ldi Arnin (Air Officer Commanding), Yusuf Ishaku (Director, DSS Anambra), A. J. lbrahim (Director, DSS Abia State), H. E. Abdullah (Director, DSS Ebonyi), B. Likinyo (Director, DSS Enugu), Baba Tijani (AIG, Zone 9, Umuahia), Awosola Awotinde (CP, Ebonyi State), Ahmadu Abdulrahman (CP, Enugu State) and Rabiu Ladodo (CP, Imo State).
“We note with dismay, that most of these officers who hold the instruments of security in the South East of Nigeria are mostly Fulani. None is Igbo. We also note that there is no other part of the country in which the Igbo are allowed to hold security authority.”
