‘IPOB, Bandits Threats To 2023 Election’ – Dambazau

Ahead of the February general election, a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Abdulrahman Dambazau, has pointed out a major event that should be curbed in the Southeast.

Dambazau, during an interview on Channels TV over the weekend, described the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a threat to the election, and security agencies must contain it.

Naija News reports that this is following the recent abduction of a female soldier, Lieutenant PP Johnson, by gunmen suspected to be IPOB members.

Also in December, the Ebonyi State Police Command claimed to have uncovered the biggest bomb factory in the South-East recovering Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

While giving his assessment of national security in the year 2022, Dambazau said the security challenges in the Northwest and Southeast call for great concern.

According to him, the problem of security is a regional issue that is beyond Nigeria as almost every geopolitical zone in the country is faced with problems.

The former minister of interior noted that some human factors that contribute to insecurity challenges include, poverty, unemployment, and education, adding it can only be solved by good governance.

He said: “When you look at 2022, we have other security challenges in the North-West – the banditry, kidnappings, and so on. We also have challenges in the South-East: the IPOB issue which is threatening elections in the South-East, which is the next major event that this country is going through in 2023 – that is, (leading up) to the elections.

“It even extends to other countries in the Sahel. So, it’s a regional issue beyond Nigeria and this is why Nigeria has been leading in consolidating the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which is based in Chad.

“In the North Central, we have challenges of the herders-farmers conflict and also some issues of banditry activities. So, almost every geopolitical zone has something to contribute towards insecurity. As I said, it was a challenging year and we do hope 2023 will be better.

“It is not the use of force that can solve it but good governance. The issue of education, health care services, environment, poverty, employment or unemployment – these are issues that require good governance and they are fundamental issues when you talk of security.

“I’m not implying, for instance, that poverty causes insecurity, but it’s a factor. So, if you’re able to reduce poverty (and) unemployment, raise the standard of education, the quality and also accessibility of education, then you will by implication be able to reduce these insecurity challenges.”