By TINA TIMOTHY

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has, in strong terms, condemned the attacks on critical public utilities in the Southeast, including the burning of a part of the administrative headquarters of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Ogidi, Idemmili North Local Government Area of Anambra State late Sunday night, May 15, 2022.

In a statement in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, dated Tuesday, May 17, and signed by its principal officers, Emeka Umeagbalasi and Obianuju Igboeli Esquire, Intersociety accused the “Nigerian Government and its security forces’ and ‘non-state actors fighting parties” for what it described as ‘coordinated attacks’.

The statement reads: “The Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) is strongly condemning the rising spate of attacks on critical public utilities by government security forces and non-state actors fighting parties across the Southeast and rest of Eastern Nigeria. Specifically and strongly condemned was the late Sunday night (15th May 2022) burning of the area administrative headquarters of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) located at Ogidi in Idemmili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. In the coordinated attacks that also affected some buildings located inside the Idemmili North LGA Headquarters, including its LGA administrative offices and the area’s Magistrate Court; the EEDC building and some automobiles were set ablaze and other properties vandalized or razed.

“Unlike other anti-humanity and property crimes or violence across the Southeast questionably and controversially blamed on “ESN/IPOB” by the country’s untrained and human rights abusive security forces, the latest late Sunday night attack circumstantially had the ‘trademarks’ of self-defense violent agitators and splinter others or the suspected Nigerian Government and its security forces backed ‘fifth columnist counterfeiters.’ It is also on record that some critical public utilities such as those providing banking, health, educational, telecommunications, water and electricity supplies and services in Nigeria, especially in the Southeast part of Eastern Nigeria, have in recent years been targeted for burning or destruction by both state actor and non-state actor armed entities or fighting parties.

“Cases abound where security forces have been strongly suspected to have remotely or clandestinely carried out such attacks for purpose of framing or criminalization and stigmatization of ‘enemy’ non-state actors. There are also cases where such attacks have been circumstantially located and trademarked in the doorsteps of self defense violent agitators and splinter others or those clandestinely raised by the Government to counterfeit the former. We had, in our latest, special report of 13th May 2022 identified security forces of Nigeria as being substantially accountable for killing defenseless civilians and rapacious destruction of their properties, especially in the Southeast part of Eastern Nigeria, labeling them “ESN/IPOB or ESN/IPOB properties.” The conduct criminality trademarks of the Government security forces in the dastardly acts are ethnic profiling, criminal labeling, bias and false intelligence. The special report also identified troublesome non-state actor groups to include suspected state actor raised fifth columnist counterfeiters, Fulani jihadists, street criminal entities and self defense violent agitators and splinter others.”

While commiserating with the management of EEDC and the consuming populace, the group calls for restoration of full power supply to the affected areas. Intersociety also calls for improved security in the Southeast and urged the fighting parties to refrain or desist from doing so.

“We hereby sympathize with management of the EEDC and the entire electricity consuming population in Ogidi District, including Awada, Obosi, Ugwuagba, Owerre-Aja and affected others over the material and social losses incurred as a result of the burning and vandalism. We call for restoration of full power supply in the affected areas since the EEDC’s critical installations were not affected. We renew our call for total overhauling of intelligence and securitization services in the Southeast which have totally failed and are in a verge of collapse so as to effectively track troubling criminalities in the region and stop the rampancy of civilian deaths and property destruction. We also urge all the fighting parties in the Southeast to immunize and spare all critical public utilities from their attacks and grievances for sake of humanity and decent, peaceful, progressive and cohesive living and development,” the statement concludes.