The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, at the weekend provided insight for the existence of numerous military checkpoints in the South-East zone, stating that checkpoints are largely determined by the terrain of an area.
In an interview with Arise TV, Gen. Musa analysed how open areas require fewer checkpoints, while more closed or challenging terrains necessitate greater military presence to prevent enemy movement.
While he acknowledged that the South-East and the South-West have the same kind of terrain, he noted that the current threat level in the South-West is relatively lower compared to the South-East.
According to him: ‘It is because of the terrain. We operate based on the terrain. If the terrain is open, it’s less. If the terrain is closed, it’s more. Because if you don’t do that, you give the enemy the ability to move around freely.
“The threat level in the South-West isn’t that much. So, that is the issue. The thing is that if we make mistakes, people get killed. And people feel we’re not doing our job.
“So, we have to take whatever it is that we need to do right to ensure that we secure the individuals in the South-East.
“Sometimes it could be difficult. Sometimes, it could be painful. And it seems as if we’re being very hard. But it just depends on the situation.
“We don’t just like to come and impugn on people. We don’t like it. But, sometimes, we’re forced to do it because that’s the only measure we need to take at that time. And once it gets better, we pull out.”
The CDS did not offer explanations on what he meant by “open” or “close” as used in the interview to enable others interrogate his stance.
Residents of the South-East complain of the number of check points, mainly because the 📴 cers and men have for long turned such places for spots for illegal toll collection and extortion.
Also, several people have reportedly been kidnapped close to such check points, fuelling the speculation that the officers posted to man such places either perpetrate such crimes or connive with some other criminal elements to do such.
Typical example are the Enugu-Umuahia federal highway and Ugwogo-Opi highway where although there are numerous kinds of security check points, there have continued to exist alarming kidnapping and robbery cases, especially at notable black spots, putting paid to the arguments of the CDS.
