While Nigeria is spending a fortune to tackle terrorism that has been devastating the northern part of the country and retarding national development for about two decades, the government cannot afford to allow a similar madness to be perpetrated in any other part of its territory.
The killing has generated angry reactions from the presidency, Army and other quarters. Tinubu, who warned IPOB that was commemorating Biafra Day when the incident happened, said his administration would not sit back and watch them commit treasonable offences. “I want to make it clear that the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Armed Forces have the capacity to crush violent non-state actors making our communities unsafe.
Some observers have also blamed the security crisis in the South-east on other factors. In a report, which was unveiled in Enugu early this year, a human rights group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre , in partnership with Action Group of Free Civic Space , identified what it termed a complex web of issues, including mishandling of the pro-Biafra agitation, as the reasons safety of life and property in Igbo land has been compromised for years now.
We state that whatever could have been the reason for the killing of the soldiers, it cannot be justified. It is pure murder. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not permit anybody to take the life of another person illegally. Besides, the attack was unprovoked. The soldiers were not in confrontation or battle with anyone or group during the attack. They were just at the checkpoint, which they mounted as part of the strategy to ensure peace and protect innocent citizens.