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South-East stakeholders rose from a security and peace summit in Enugu with a call on the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The participants at the 2-day event also sought the immortalization of the lives lost during the civil war, just as they condemned continued existence of clandestine detention facilities and reports of forced disappearances.

The stakeholders summit on Peace and Security and Public Hearing on Human Rights Violations was co-organized by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, and Southeast-based Civil Society Organisations, CSOs.

A communique issued after the summit was signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma, for Civil Society Organisations, (RULAAC) and for the the Nigerian Bar Association, Sabastine Anyia Esq, 1st Vice President and Chairman of the Human Rights Institute of the NBA.

The event was attended by key stakeholders, including representatives from government institutions, security agencies, civil society organizations, traditional institutions, affected communities, and the media.

The chairman of the summit was Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, with a Keynote Address delivered by Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Professor of Practice at the Fletcher School of Law, who presented a comprehensive paper titled “Fostering Lasting Peace and Security: Collaborative Approaches to Address Insecurity and Human Rights Violations in Southeast Nigeria.”

The summit discussed the root causes of insecurity and human rights violations in the Southeast, identifying multiple interrelated factors contributing to the crisis, including.

It noted the interplay between insecurity and human rights violations, highlighted how insecurity and human rights abuses in the Southeast were interconnected, with violations often stemming from both state and non-state actors.

Major causes of insecurity in the region were identified as cultism and killing of youths, natural resource exploitation such as the mining of Kaolin and hydrocarbon sourced illegally, the inadequacy of current security responses, lots of guns in the Southeast region without control, a lack of inclusive governance, the continued disruption of businesses, education, lingering consequences of past conflicts, including the Nigeria-Biafra War, the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, among others.

After an extensive deliberation, the summit recommended the setting up a Human Right Bureau, establishing a structured legal framework to oversee litigation efforts, with dedicated lawyers from the states handling legal proceedings.

“Strengthen arms control measures to curb the illegal flow of weapons into the Southeast, ensuring stricter enforcement and monitoring of supply routes.

“Enhance border security and intelligence-sharing mechanisms to prevent the proliferation of arms and restrict access by criminal elements.

“Implement robust community policing strategies to improve trust between security agencies and local populations while ensuring respect for human rights.

“Civic engagement and awareness campaigns: the public should be actively involved in discussions on security and human rights through sustained advocacy efforts.

“Strengthening the Southeast Governor’s Forum: this platform will serve as a mechanism for monitoring security activities in the region, pulling resources and strengthening the surveillance system in the region.

“Regulation of state-backed security outfits: government-backed security groups such as Agunechemba, as well as special or tactical units of the police such as Rapid Response Squad in Anambra, Tiger Base in Imo State, and Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Anambra, etc. must operate within the confines of human rights and legal frameworks;

“There is a need for a better pay system and economic empowerment of the police to humanize the police, enhance morale and check corruption.

“Immortalizing lives lost during the civil war, setting an agreed date to honour their memories, setting up workshops and conferences.

“The continued existence of clandestine detention facilities and reports of forced disappearances necessitate urgent interventions to ensure due process and accountability by the judiciary.

“The Federal government should heed numerous calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. This will help in de-escalation. The issues are essentially political and can only be resolved through a political solution.”