Neo-Biafra Separatist Agitations, State Repression and Insecurity in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

The resurgence of Biafra separatism in Nigeria is largely a reaction to a perceived ethno-national superordinacy as well as the compromised state-building capacity of the Nigerian ruling groups. The tendency to attribute the upswing in ethnic nationalism, separatist agitations and the ascendancy of sectarian cleavages in Nigeria to the widening of the democratic space since 1999 is flawed. Whilst every part of Nigeria is bedevilled with one security challenge or another, the most visible existential threats to lives and livelihoods in Nigeria’s South-East are coordinated attacks on state facilities by unknown gunmen and the brutal military response of the Nigerian state to the neo-Biafra separatist uprisings. Although the reinvention of Biafra separatism has received substantial scholarly attention, available studies have neglected how the persistence of state repression has lubricated the wheels of the neo-Biafra separatist movement in Nigeria. This study argues that the repressive disposition of the Nigerian state towards Biafra separatism is at the base of the current mutation of the Indigenous People of Biafra’s strategy from the non-violent option to the armed movement. This article relies mainly on the analysis of secondary data on Biafra separatism and state repression in Nigeria. Drawing from the basic assumptions of the theory of state repression, this study concludes that the wanton deployment of the kinetic approach involving harassment, proscription, arrests, extraordinary rendition, torture and mass killing of pro-Biafra agitators tends to stimulate insecurity in the South-East.

Grand challenge of insecurity and Leadership: Humanizing Leadership to enhance security in divided Nigeria nation state.

“…Rather. it has facilitated the radicalization of neo-Biafra separatists, which led to the creation of the Eastern Security Network, IPOB's armed wing (Nwangwu, 2022). The aftermath of this has make it security network (ESN) taken a far more radical position fighting with security forces in the south eastern states especially the Orlu community in Imo state; after which IPOB declared that the "second Nigeria/Biafra war" had begun (Sahara Reporter.…”

State Repression and Militarization of Secessionist Movement in Southeast Nigeria

“…First is the formation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in December 12, 2020 by the IPOB group. Thus, according to Nwangwu (2022), the south eastern zone has become highly militarized over the years. This finding corresponded with the work of Alalade & Ayomola (2019), that the federal government deployment of military measures to quell the Biafran secessionists on several occasions has aggravated the fragile nature of peace in the country.…”

Border Governance, Migration Securitisation, and Security Challenges in Nigeria

“…Apart from occasional words of disapproval, the Nigerian government has failed to formulate effective strategies to address the attendant dangers of herders' aggression against different sedentary peasant farming communities in the country. Relative to other sectarian uprisings and movements such as the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, the Yoruba Nation Movement, and Biafra separatist movements, President Buhari's administration's responses to coordinated attacks by armed herdsmen and bandits have been lacklustre (Lenshie et al, 2021;Nwangwu, 2022bNwangwu, , 2023. It is not surprising, therefore, that President Buhari's government's failure to deal with these internal security challenges, especially across Northern Nigeria, is attributed to his pastoral Fulani background as well as his position as the life patron of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria (Igata, 2016).…”