By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
A highly-placed security source, has revealed that there are strong indications of drastic reduction of killings, and other destructive activities perpetrated by unknown gunmen in the South East region of the country.
The source who dropped the hint to a select group of crime correspondents, predicated the development on “precise intelligence” provided by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, owing to the sensitive nature of the issue, also identified improved synergy and collaboration among security agencies operating in the five states that constitute the South East.
Recall that the activities of unknown gunmen, have continued to threaten the peace and stability of the region, with consequential negative effect on socio-economic lives of the people.
Many have, however, blamed the killings, as well as general disturbance of peace in the general area on the security arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), known as Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“I can tell you authoritatively, that we have been able to tame the nefarious activities of so-called unknown gunmen disturbing the peace of the good people of the South East, known for their peaceful co-existence with non-indigenes, progressive ideals, and egalitarianism.
“This feat, no doubt, was achieved due largely to precise intelligence by the Department of State Services, whose primary mandate is the detection and prevention of threats to national security.
“The joint operations between the military, and other security agencies (Nigeria Police, DSS) continues, until we achieve total peace in the South East region”, the source said.
Asked if the operations were restricted to the certain states in the geo-political zone, the senior officer responded thus: “As far as I know, security operatives are present in troubled parts of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states”.
On what the people of the South East should expect during the yuletide, he said: “Nothing short of a violence-free Christmas and New Year celebrations”.
He stayed categorically that: “Troublemakers will not be lowed freedom of action under any guise whatsoever”.
He pointed to the recently-launched operation in the region by the Nigerian Army (NA), as one of the deterrence measures against violent tendencies before, during and after the Christmas celebrations.
The operation tagged “Exercise Golden Dawn”, was flagged-off at the headquarters of the 81 Division of the NA in Enugu, on Monday October 3, by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya.