*New GOC for 82 Division, not cheerful news, says IPOB.
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has criticized the recent postings announced by the Nigerian Army, for being lopsided and constituting a threat to the 2023 upcoming elections.
The rights group said the postings further exposed the government's unrelenting efforts to leave the high command positions of the force in the hands of members of a particular ethnic and religious group.
Intersociety also lamented that despite public outcry and condemnation by the people of the East, the authorities of the Nigerian Military have continued their policy of posting mainly senior Muslim officers to the South East and South-South regions as "more Northern Muslim officers are among those newly posted to the East."
In a statement, signed by the group’s principal officers: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Obianuju Igboeli, and Chidinma Udegbunam and released on Sunday, 8th Jan 2023, Intersociety demanded "indigenization and allocation of posts of the GOCs of the 6 Division, Port Harcourt and the 82 Division, Enugu to senior Army officers from the East in line with Federal Character Act of 2004."
The statement read in part:
“The Nigerian Army’s new postings are not only ethnoreligious lopsided, they escalate ethnoreligious insecurity and insurgency by giving one ethnoreligious group the upper hand over others, including unhindered access to state’s coercive instruments.
"The development further provides a breeding ground for violent self-help and the emergence of different armed groups. Such lopsided postings in a country of multi-ethnic and religious composition or groupings will, at all times, breed ethnic and religious divisions, fears and suspicions.”
“The situation also creates a general feeling of insecurity and feeling of security and safety without local content.
“Such postings and their lopsidedness, less than 45 days to February 25, 2023, presidential election also constitute a major threat to the critical poll.”
Intersociety also expressed shock that out of the 19 top Army officers affected by the latest redeployments, only three are Southern Christians.
"Intersociety is shocked at the Army’s latest lopsided postings involving Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding officers and so on; whereby out of 19 top officers and their postings mentioned, only three are Southern Christians while most of the remaining 16 are Northern Muslims."
IPOB's reaction.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that the recent redeployment of the former General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division Nigerian Army, Enugu, Major General Umar Musa and his replacement with Major General Ahmed Chinade is not exciting news for the people of the Southeast.
In a statement by the group's Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB alleged that whereas the former GOC, Musa is "a Boko Haram Commander", deployed a few months ago to the division "to pave the way for terrorists called herdsmen," Chinade, the new GOC is " another Fulani stooge and Igbo hater."
IPOB accused Major General Chinade, who was the GOC, 6th Division Port Harcourt, of killing and bombing Biafrans in the coastal region before he was deployed to 82 Division Enugu.
The statement read, "We must continue to expose the murderous activities of terrorists collaborating with military officers deployed in our land to pave the way for Islamic jihadist and Fulani conquest agenda.
“IPOB and the people of the Eastern region should not rejoice yet, because the newly deployed GOC is an enemy of the Biafra people too. He will continue the dirty job of his Boko Haram kinsmen in the East," the group said.
The pro-self-determination group had earlier in December 2022 accused both military officers of aiding the increased insecurity and herders attacks in Eastern communities, especially in Enugu and Rivers states, saying that the GOCs were deliberately deployed to pave the way for a seamless takeover of the region by killer herders.
The Nigerian Army (NA) last Saturday, announced a redeployment of Major Generals and Brigadier Generals in a massive shake-up of its senior officers.
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said the redeployments which were approved by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya to achieve administrative and operational efficiency.
The redeployments became effective as of January 11, 2022, according to the statement.
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