‘Military Operations, Mass Arrests Reasons for Non-enrollment of Igbo Youths in Force’
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Random military operations in the South-east region and mass arrest of Igbo youths by security operatives have been credited for the non-enrollment of youths of the
In the South-east region, a human rights group has reported that intense military actions and the arbitrary detainment of Igbo youths have been instrumental in deterring young people from joining the Nigerian Armed Forces. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, in partnership with the Ekwenche Research Institute and Organisation based in Chicago, USA, released a report detailing the plight of over 6,000 families who are still searching for their loved ones who were allegedly apprehended by security forces.
According to the researchers, these individuals are typically classified as members or supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or the Eastern Security Network (ESN) once apprehended. The findings of this report indicate that this ongoing harassment has led to a significant number of families in the region refusing to allow their eligible children to enlist in the military.
The organisations also discovered that around 5,000 other civilians from the South-east have gone missing since 2015, with many of them being detained in Northern Nigeria without proper notification or access by their families. Approximately 70% of the missing persons since January 2021 were taken by military personnel, while the remainder were attributed to police and the State Security Service.
The disappearance of these individuals has fostered a climate of fear among families, which has, in turn, had a detrimental impact on their perception of military recruitment. In response to these alarming trends, the organizations have urged the Defence Headquarters and other security agencies to disclose information regarding those who were arrested or killed during military operations, including their identities, locations of detention, arrest circumstances, and, where relevant, details about their deaths.
They have also called for independent judicial inquiries into alleged disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other abuses that have occurred since 2015.
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