By our reporter
A sorry picture of the state of the nation was painted as Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, North-East Nigeria, said the land is gripped by the pangs of excruciating suffering, hunger and tormented by unbearable hardship.
He heaped blame for the gloom on the doorsteps of the Federal Government (FG), saying its economic policies were negative and not working for Nigerians.
Fintiri’s position found deeper resonance in the allegation by prominent human rights law group, Intersociety, which said that about 180 persons of South-East origin were killed within the last two months over insecurity while the security agencies pocketed a mind-boggling N21billion from mounting roadblocks in the zone within same period.
The Adamawa Governor spoke during a meeting of the National Reconciliation Committee of his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was also attended by his colleague-governors from the North-East as well as leading stakeholders.
The meeting held in Bauchi, North-East Nigeria.
Apparently angry over the current condition of the national economy, Gov. Fintiri stated that Nigeria is bleeding with socio-economic suffering staring people in the face across the country.
His words: “Nigeria is bleeding. We are suffering; there is too much anger and the economic policy is not working.
“That is why we always call on the Federal Government to reconsider some of these economic policies that are only putting hardship on Nigerians.”
To him, responsible leadership is important, insisting that Nigeria must be ruled with responsibility and trust as the anchors because, according to Fintiri, it is a privilege given by God Almighty for anybody to hold a position of power.
The governor called on the FG to better zero in on initiatives that will not plunge Nigerians into more suffering.
He carpeted Abuja for implementing policies prepared, packaged and transmitted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and similar financial institutions, asserting that Nigeria belongs to Nigerians and not to these Western bodies.
“The country belongs to us. It does not belong to the World Bank, IMF, or the international community,” the governor stressed.
Speaking during the meeting, Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, cited certain factors that led to PDP’s defeat in 2023 general elections.
According to him, disunity was a principal factor, assuring that the committee would address it.
‘180 killed, billions of Naira pocketed in South-East’
Weighing in on the sordid state of affairs in the country, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) fingered security agencies and non-state actors for the death of at least 180 persons in Igboland (the South-East) from December, 2024 to January, 2025.
Intersociety,a group of human rights lawyers, which has often spoken out and written several published reports from its perspective on the state of human rights in the South-East, alleged that over N21 billion was extorted from Igbos between last December and January this year.
In a statement on Thursday, January 30, Intersociety claimed that killings, abductions and disappearances primed at violently seizing and pocketing billions of Naira were rude in the zone during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The statement was signed by the Board Chairman of Intersociety, Barrister Emeka Umeagbalasi; Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program, Chinwe Umeche Esq.; Head, Campaign and Publicity, Chidinma Udegbunam Esq.; and Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esq.
In the lengthy statement, Intersociety alleged: “Police and military seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed N21.8billion (police N15 billion and military N6.8 billion) from South-East roadblock and barracks’ extortions in two months: Dec 2024-Jan 2025.
“Uga Junction and Atani Road Naval checkpoints are most ‘lucrative’ in South-East; N600million (N1million per day) seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed in two months (Dec 2024-Jan 2025) from at least ten extortion sources.
“Kidnappers seized N600million from defenseless abductees in 20 days: Dec 28-Jan 18 and N1.2billion in two months (Dec 2024-Jan 2025).
“180 defenseless citizens killed in two months: 140 by armed non-state actors; and 40 others killed outside the law by military, police and killer-vigilantes.
“200 defenseless Southeasterners abducted in two months: 160 by armed non-state actors; and 40 others held outside the law and facing permanent disappearance by military, police and killer-vigilantes.”
Intersociety alleged also that the said extortions were “criminal billions drawn from direct and indirect roadblock and barracks extortion, numbering over twenty sources and seized from members of the civilian population with legitimate means of livelihood who were extorted while preparing or returning for 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year holidays or extorted while heading back to their bases after the holidays.”
On the source of its assertions, Intersociety said they “were derived from detailed research and investigation and their findings contained in the Intersociety’s December 22, 2024-Special International Report: ‘Ocean Of Innocent Blood Flowing In Eastern Nigeria’”.
Dwelling on the nagging issue of roadblocks in the zone, Intersociety said: “There are presently at least 300 direct military roadblocks, and 500 patrol teams or indirect roadblocks mounted on South-East roads-with 98% of them engaging in direct and indirect roadblocks extortions using publicly procured assault rifles and their ammunition and patrol vans.
“These extortions and allied corrupt practices by military personnel are contrary to Section 108 of the Armed Forces Act of 2004 which prescribes fourteen years jail for any military personnel found involved in the offense of extortion.
“The Report further found that average of N100,000 is illicitly pocketed daily by each of the military roadblocks; translating to N80m daily from 800 military roadblocks and patrol teams in the South-East or N2.4billion per month and N4.8billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“Addition of N2billion was included and estimated to have arisen from direct and indirect barracks extortions and allied others-totaling N6.8billion, seized at gunpoint and illicitly pocketed from South-East motorists and allied others including those that encountered the military personnel in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“Further discovered were not less than ten sources of indirect military extortion in the South-East: with a clear case in point being patterns and trends of the corrupt practices of the officers and personnel of the Ogbaru Base of the Nigerian Navy at Onitsha and Ogbaru- the most lucrative military roadblock in the South-East, to the extent that not less than N1m is seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed daily, translating to at least N600m in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025 by the Uga Junction Main Naval Checkpoint and three others located along Atani Road and Harbor Industrial Layout in Ogbaru, Anambra State.”
The group added: “Imo State with highest number of police roadblocks and patrol teams (700) in the South-East accounted for N2.94billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025, on daily average of N49million (N70,000 per police roadblock), N1.47billion monthly and N2.94billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“Anambra State, which presently maintains second largest police roadblocks and patrol teams in the Region with estimated 600, N42million was criminally pocketed daily, N1.26billion monthly and N2.52billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“In Abia State with third largest police roadblocks and patrol teams of estimated 500 in the Region, N35million was criminally pocketed daily, N1.05billion monthly and N2.1billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“In Enugu State with fourth largest police roadblocks and patrol teams of 400 in the Region, N28million was criminally pocketed daily, N840million monthly and N1.68billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025, and Ebonyi State with fifth largest police roadblocks in the Region of 300 police roadblocks and patrol teams, N21m was pocketed daily, N630m monthly and N1.26billion in two months of December and January 2025.”
Also, Intersociety said that kidnappers took away N600million in 20 days from December 28-January 18 while the sum of N1.2billion was seized by them from December-January, 2025.
The security agencies were yet to respond to these claims, though in the past they had denied similar allegations.
