Aleke Aleke in Abuja
The Southeast Stakeholders Summit on Peace and Security has called on the federal government to release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to de-escalate tensions in the region.
The summit, held in Enugu on February 21-22, 2025, also demanded improved security governance, including the establishment of a Human Rights Bureau and a collaborative security framework.
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In a Communique at the end of the summit, the stakeholders noted that the continued detention of Kanu, despite court orders, breaches the rule of law and hinders efforts to address insecurity in the region.
They emphasized the need for a political solution to the issues surrounding separatism in the Southeast, rather than relying solely on military operations.
The summit also highlighted the importance of protecting vulnerable groups, including women, children, and persons with disabilities, who suffer the most from insecurity.
The stakeholders recommended several measures to address the security challenges in the region, including strengthening arms control, enhancing border security, and implementing robust community policing strategies.
They also called for better pay and economic empowerment of the police to enhance morale and check corruption.
“Corruption and the politicization of security challenges continue to impede effective responses; the police should not be used for regime protection or as tool for repression and suppression of dissent and other forms of democratic expression.
“Shrinking civic space and increasing fear of reprisals have weakened advocacy efforts for justice and accountability. Insecurity in many Southeast States has taken diverse forms, including armed robbery, kidnapping, extrajudicial killings, unlawful detentions, and violations of civic freedoms,” they further said.
The communique was jointly signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, and Sabastine Anyia Esq., 1st Vice-President and Chairman of the Human Rights Institute of the NBA and Civil Society Organisations in the Southeast.
