Attacks on Police Stations Re-emerge in Imo State as Nigeria Preps for 2023 Elections

The crisis rocking South-eastern Nigeria remains a great concern as attacks on police stations by gunmen have continues as threat to security of lives and properties in Imo state.

Reports have emerged that gunmen attacked the Umuguma police station on March 19, with two police officers reported dead.

The Spokesman of the state police command, Micheal Abbattam was quoted as stating that the attackers were repelled while manhunt has begun to identify those responsible.

Barely twenty four hours after the attack, another police station was reported attacked in Omuma community, Oru East local government area of the state. The attack happened at midnight.

Barely ten days after these twin  attacks, a police divisional headquarters in Obowo (Otoko police divisional headquarters) was also reported attacked. Two police officers were noted to be injured as a result.

The state police spokesman was also reported as confirming this development.

A Dataphyte report earlier detailed how these attacks have impacted the daily lives of residents of the Southeastern states. 

Dataphyte visited states detailing the perception of the people about the crisis and what experts including residents are proferring as ways forward. Respondents had revealed that the continual attacks are affecting their businesses while denying them of their livelohood.

The Internally generated revenue of the region has also not been left out from the impact of the crisis, creating a figure of economic losses.

Between October 2020 and May 2021, at least twenty-one police stations were attacked by the unknown gunmen in South Eastern Nigeria with police officers killed, others injured  and many police stations burnt. Visits also show that the attacks on police stations have impacted the confidence of policemen to work, with officers at stations visited dorning mufti as against their official uniforms during official hours.

Efforts by the various state governments to halt the spate of attacks have been met with brick wall while stakeholders have lamented the impact continual attack on police stations can cause in areas of insecurity and  socio-economic meltdown.

The government and the indigenous people of Biafra have been at  loggerheads on the handling of the crisis in the region, with the latter accusing the government of  insincerity especially in the incarceration of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The state governments in the Southeastern region also set-up a security outfit codenamed “Ebubeagu”, to strengthen the security architecture of the states, although latest attacks may question the effectiveness of this unit in curtailing the rampaging gunmen.

Experts have also told Dataphyte that there is a need for development of communication strategies to strengthen the region and start to solve the issues affecting the region from the grassroot.

Traditional rulers and Monarchs have also been reported as lampooning the federal and South east state government for not engaging it in a way to see a way to restoring peace and security in the region, although the government has continued to restate its commitment to ensuring stability returns to the five Southeastern states.

The Implications of Insecurity for the 2023 Elections

Nigeria has remained a fragile state due to the increasing insecurity and operation of various agitation groups. Over the weekend, Kaduna state witnessed an attack by Bandits adding to the hundreds of attacks by Bandits and Boko Haram insurgency in the North.

In the last two years, over twenty five attacks have been reported in Imo and other South-eastern states of the country. Although no known incident of violence was reported during the Anambra gubernatorial election, there were attacks on candidates prior to the elections. 

The unabated attacks on security personnel and facilities are early warnings of possible violence as Nigeria prepares for 2023 elections.