The arrest of Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa in Finland has greatly reduced the tension in the Southeast, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa disclosed.
This development, he said, alongside the Operation Udoka by the Defence Headquarters, is restoring peace in the region.Operation Udoka was established to flush banditry and end the sit-at-home situation in the Southeast.
Gen. Musa said they were working with the people to ensure stability in the region. sit-at-home on Mondays is gradually diminishing. We’re also working with the political leaders there because we understand, like I said always, we need to have the local support because without it, it’s difficult.
You know, the terrain is very challenging, so we need to work together. It is improving.”Gen.Musa said the last holiday period was very peaceful because they were very proactive.
He said they were committed to non-kinetic measures of addressing the security problem and this was yielding positive results.
His words: “We had some intelligence and worked ahead to ensure that everywhere was kept peaceful. That has happened and we intend to do that and continue to do more. What we try to encourage is synergy in our operations.
And like we always appeal to Nigerians to understand, they have to take ownership of their armed forces, they have to take ownership of the security challenges we are facing. It’s not the challenge for the armed forces alone or security agencies; it’s everybody’s responsibility to do.
We’re happy that we’re beginning to get that support from everywhere. Human intelligence information is coming, it’s flowing quite very well and we are taking adequate action and that’s why we see things are improving.“What we have done is that we have established and enhanced the kinetic efforts for the three services for our operations. We have the Delta Safe, which is in the South south for oil theft and militancy. At least for the first time now, we have been able to reach our Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil quota for Nigeria and we intend to do more.
“Our target is to hit 2.2 million barrels a day for Nigeria. It’s not something that we can also do alone. We also need the other stakeholders in the oil industry to also play their own role. We are doing more, providing more security. We are close to two million barrels per day. We intend to do more. This year, we want to intensify our operations.”
Following Ekpa’s arrest, there have been calls from various community leaders and organizations for a cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. Many residents of Southeast Nigeria are advocating for peace and stability, recognizing that the continued unrest undermines their aspirations for economic development and social cohesion. The sentiment is echoed by local government officials, who emphasize the need to address the root causes of discontent rather than resorting to violence.
