Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A non-partisan civic group, Oganihu, has issued a firm demand to security agencies and governments in Nigeria's Southeast, calling for an immediate end to alleged extortion at security checkpoints and the investigation of prolonged detention of citizens across the region. The group made the demands in a statement on Sunday, August 30, 2026, following its August 29 meeting, where members expressed concern over security, accountability and respect for citizens' rights in the region.
Oganihu, described as a socio-development platform of Igbo professionals and citizens, said it received a briefing from Emeka Umeagbalasi of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law on research into checkpoints and alleged extortion by security personnel in the Southeast. While acknowledging security challenges, including kidnapping and armed attacks, the group said these should not justify the abuse of motorists and other road users.
"Security necessity cannot justify extortion, harassment, degrading treatment or the conversion of highways into revenue-collection corridors," Oganihu said. The group called on the Inspector-General of Police, heads of the Armed Forces and other security agencies operating in the Southeast to audit checkpoints across the five states to determine their locations, operational necessity, authorisation and personnel.
The group stressed that checkpoints demonstrably required for security should operate professionally and transparently, while those serving no identifiable security purpose, or functioning primarily as points of extortion, should be dismantled. It also called for disciplinary and criminal proceedings against security personnel found demanding or receiving money from motorists where evidence establishes wrongdoing. "The constitutional rights to dignity and freedom of movement do not cease to exist because citizens are travelling through a security checkpoint," it said.
Oganihu further expressed concern over reports of prolonged detention of people arrested in connection with separatist agitation or security operations, including alleged detention at Wawa Barracks in Niger State. It demanded a transparent account of persons detained at Wawa Barracks and other military or security facilities in connection with operations in the Southeast, including their identities, dates and locations of arrest, legal status and pending charges.
Oganihu insisted that anyone suspected of a crime should be prosecuted before a competent court, while those against whom there is insufficient evidence should be released. "Indefinite or secret detention cannot substitute for criminal prosecution," it said. The group also urged the Anambra State Government to account for its implementation of the recommendations of the Truth, Justice and Peace Commission established by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
The commission's recommendations reportedly included mechanisms for documenting missing and disappeared persons and the professionalisation and coordination of vigilante services. Oganihu noted that more than two years later, the people of Anambra and the wider Southeast deserve a clear public account of which recommendations have been implemented, which remain outstanding, and the timetable for completing them.
Oganihu also called for the investigation of the unresolved 2002 murders of former Nigerian Bar Association Onitsha Branch chairman Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Abigail Igwe. The group stressed that the passage of time or political office should not prevent an investigation.
The demands come amid repeated outcry against the multiplicity of security checkpoints in the Southeast, with reports indicating that a journey from Enugu to Onitsha, about 100 kilometres, can take up to four hours due to numerous checkpoints. A recent report by SaharaReporters documented how Joint Task Force operatives in Imo State allegedly stop motorists, demand access to their phones, and force them to transfer money to bank accounts or POS operators before allowing them to leave.
In a separate development, a coalition of lawyers has demanded the unconditional release of persons, especially youths, allegedly detained by security agencies in the South-East or charged to court. The lawyers raised concerns over allegations that some suspects arrested in the South-East were transferred to distant military detention facilities, including Wawa in Niger State, and held for prolonged periods without being brought before civilian courts.
The group's demands underscore growing frustration among residents of the Southeast over what they perceive as systemic abuses by security agencies. As Oganihu noted, "Security necessity cannot justify extortion, harassment, degrading treatment or the conversion of highways into revenue-collection corridors." The call for accountability comes at a time when the Southeast continues to grapple with insecurity, with the government struggling to strike a balance between security operations and the protection of citizens' rights.
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