The acting Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Usman Alkali, yesterday launched a new operation to battle the rising insecurity in the South-east.

He also charged policemen in the region to be ruthless with secessionists.

The launch of the new security strategy, codenamed “Operation RP” is coming barely 24 hours after the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu State was attacked and property burnt by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.

Also yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari said without security, economic opportunity would remain fragile and the propensity for conflict would grow, adding that military gains do not provide the whole solution.

Alkali, at the launch of the operation in Enugu, charged policemen serving in the South-east region to deal ruthlessly with criminals and secessionists that may attempt to take the risk of testing their will.

He urged policemen to be firm with criminals that may be threatening citizens within their area of jurisdiction.

The IG advised police personnel participating in the special operation to see their deployment as a call to national duty.

According to him, “The police leadership and the entire nation are looking out for two major outcomes as you discharge your duties during this operation: first, to stabilise the security order in the South-east in the shortest possible time; second, to be professional in your conduct as you strive to attain this objective.”

The IG advised the policemen to be civil with law-abiding citizens, respect the rights of the citizens and undertake the operation within the dictates of rule of law.

He, however, charged them to defend themselves against any armed group that might attempt to attack them, or any police assets and other critical national infrastructure.

He described the people of South-east as historically peaceful, tolerant, innovative, industrious and entrepreneurial, who are highly respected citizens that have made their marks in the field of academics, scientific inventions and commerce.

He, however, lamented that although the Igbo are a unique ethnic group that freely and peacefully lives with others across the country and within the South-east, the events of late had altered the positive narrative.

He said: “The zone in recent years has been witnessing increasing cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and communal violence. This trend has of late been laced with inter-ethnic intolerance and separatist agitation as championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

“The separatist agenda of this group has assumed an armed dimension in which important political and community leaders as well as personnel and assets of the Nigeria police, military and other security agencies are being constantly targeted in clearly well-coordinated, premeditated violent attacks in the region.”

According to him, the launch of ‘Operation RP’ was conceptualised to ensure that “we should as a people, be determined to build a consensus, partner in condemning any act of criminality and resolve to work with the police and other security agencies towards identifying, isolating and bringing the criminal elements within our communities to deserved justice.”

He added: “There must come a time in the life of a nation when we, as a people, must strengthen our will, and resolve to mobilise and deploy all our assets towards confronting these criminal elements, take the battle to their doorsteps, and make a clear statement that the few deviants within us cannot and will not re-order our cherished national values. The time is now.”

Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, expressed optimism that the operation would lead to the retooling of security architecture in the South-east.

He said: “Today’s event could not have come at a better time than now giving the point of insecurity in the country. In the past week, we have been saddened by the spate of killings of security operatives in their line of duty and destruction of security infrastructure and other public institutions in Nigeria, especially in the South-east.

“It is our expectations that today’s event will herald the rejigging and retooling of international security architecture in the South-east geopolitical zone to bring it up to speed with an emerging dimension of criminality.”

Insecurity Grows Propensity for Conflict

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday warned that without security, economic opportunity will remain fragile and the propensity for conflict will grow.

He also said that because of the post-COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria and France must seize the chance to strengthen its economic and military ties.

Buhari stated this in an article entitled: ‘Post-COVID-19 Pandemic, Nigeria and France Must Seize the Chance to Strengthen Military and Economic Ties,’ published yesterday by a Paris-based magazine, Le Point.

He said across the world, conflict and coronavirus had not been far apart and the war against the coronavirus was one Nigeria was fully united with France in a strong determination to overcome.

The solution, according to him, therefore, is to improve those conditions, as it leaves the people vulnerable to indoctrination.

He said: ”As governments have struggled to contain COVID-19, jihadists have taken advantage in the Sahel – the vast arid stretch of territory that lies between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Terrorist incidents have become tragically common across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Around the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram terrorists have taken advantage of the pandemic and pushed back into my country Nigeria, whilst still launching raids and attacks in Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

”We have seen more than once how Boko Haram – which in French means “l’éducation Occidentale est un péché” – can regroup, morphing in form and tactics. A matter of only a few years ago, they were reduced to a territory-less group, where once they had controlled an area in Nigeria three times the size of Lebanon.”

The president said as the world emerges from COVID-19, there is a chance to rebuild.

“Though we always knew it, COVID-19 underlined how interconnected and interdependent the world is. With that shattering reminder, we can create a world with the idea at its forefront – one that provides security and opportunity for all,” he said.

Buhari stated that the infection is spreading further afield and reaching into the heart of Europe and France is not being spared the malignant, with innocents murdered on its streets.
Saying in that context fate is generally linked, the president highlighted that Paris had been active in the common fight.

He said: “The French Operation Barkhane has provided critical boots on the ground in shoring up security across our region. Though challenges remain, it has ensured a wide expanse of territory has not descended into a lawless playground where terrorists masquerading as fighting for Islam groups can freely flourish and multiply. That assistance has been profoundly appreciated in the region.

”Now Nigeria and France should deepen our anti-terror cooperation if we are to overcome this scourge – particularly in the aftermath of the murder of the late President of Chad. Where for historical ties, support came to Nigeria from the UK, and to the G5 from France, the terrorists do not recognise these border-aligned distinctions. We must be agile and flexible, cooperating across our borders to cut the head off their groups.”