The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has expressed concerns over recent postings in the Nigerian Army, saying that the exercise and its lopsidedness, less than 45 days to February 25, 2023, presidential poll, constitutes a threat to the election.
The rights group stated that army authorities have continued to leave the high command cadre of the force in the hands of Northerners, particularly, members of the Muslim population, thereby treating them as if they permanently belong to “a homogenous theocratic Islamic state.”
Intersociety, in a statement made available to The Guardian in Enugu, yesterday, also lamented massive deployment of senior Muslim officers to the South East and South South regions, despite widespread outcries in those regions.
It, therefore, demanded for indigenisation and allocation of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) posts of the 6 Division, Port Harcourt, and the 82 Division, Enugu, to senior army officers from the South East, in line with the Federal Character Act of 2004.
The statement, which was signed by the group’s Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi; the Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Obianuju Igboeli and Head, Campaign and Publicity Department, Chidinma Udegbunam, reads:
“The Nigerian Army’s new postings are not only ethno-religiously lopsided, they escalate ethno-religious insecurity and insurgency by giving one ethno-religious group upper hand over others, including unhindered access to state’s coercive instruments. The development further provides breeding ground for violent self-help and 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 general feeling of insecurity and feeling of security and safety without local contents.
“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 expressed shock that the postings involve principal staff officers of the Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers and so on.
The group disclosed that out of 19 top officers and their postings, only three are Southern Christians, while most of the remaining 16 are Northern Muslims.
