The director, Institute for Peace, Conflict and Development Studies, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Prof Felix Asogwa has advocated urgent review of the use of the military institution in the country’s internal security management.
The professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies gave the advice while delivering the 42nd inaugural lecture of ESUT entitled, “From Confrontation to Consensus: Re-engaging the Separatist Agitators for Sustainable Peace in the Nigerian State.”
He maintained that there was an urgent need to re-examine the existing strategies for mitigating the threats to peace and security in Nigeria.
Prof Asogwa insisted that the military, by their training, are not suitable for handling internal security challenges such as separatist agitations.
“As part of the national dialogue on managing separatist agitations in Nigeria, there is an urgent need to review the use of the military institution in our internal security management.
“The over application of force by the military usually escalates rather than de-escalate the situation as such coercive measures by the military usually result in the radicalisation of the agitation.
“This is bountifully illuminated in the IPOB agitation with the emergence of ‘unknown gunmen,’ ‘the Eastern security Network (ESN),’ among others, which have compounded the existing security situation,” he stated.
He suggested that the use of local security arrangements be explored for managing the security breaches arising from the activities of the separatist agitators.
Asogwa added that in this regard, the use of community policing should be encouraged, adding that it would minimise the excessive redeployment of force and further escalation of the conflict as shown in the various instances in the Southeast region of Nigeria.
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