Governor Udom accuses police of releasing armed Fulani terrorists

DDM News

Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State Nigeria has made a security call that raises urgent questions about Nigeria’s security and governance.

He said that fulani terrorists dressed in fake army uniforms and carrying 18 AK-47 rifles were apprehended by local authorities in the state.

According to the governor, these armed individuals, believed to be Fulani militia, were handed over to the Nigerian police for investigation and prosecution.

However, Governor Udom revealed that the police hierarchy gave direct orders for their immediate release.

Even more alarming, he said the police returned the AK-47 rifles to the terrorists.

This revelation suggests not just institutional failure but possible complicity in the country’s worsening insecurity.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that this development has sparked outrage and intensified calls for police reform and federal accountability.

The governor warned that the police should be held responsible if a breakdown of law and order occurs.

Efforts by his administration to seek clarification or intervention from police authorities in the region and at the national level were reportedly ignored.

Governor Udom’s statement brings renewed scrutiny to Nigeria’s longstanding security challenges and trust issues between citizens and law enforcement.

This is not an isolated incident.

Across Nigeria, numerous communities have reported attacks by heavily armed men, often identified as Fulani herdsmen or militias.

In states across the Middle Belt and South, entire villages have been destroyed, with hundreds killed and displaced.

Despite repeated arrests by vigilantes or local security forces, many suspects have allegedly been released without trial.

Over the years, public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force has declined due to recurring allegations of bias, corruption, and ethnic favoritism.

Many Nigerians accuse the federal security architecture of protecting aggressors while ignoring victims’ pleas for justice.

Governor Udom’s case appears to follow this disturbing pattern.

The fact that his administration’s arrest of suspected armed criminals was undone by higher police orders raises fears of deliberate sabotage.

By returning the 18 AK-47 rifles, the police effectively restored the firepower of those posing as soldiers.

This action not only endangers the people of Akwa Ibom but also undermines national security.

It points to a larger crisis of trust between federal security agencies and state governments.

Nigeria’s security architecture is centrally controlled from Abuja, with state governors constitutionally declared as the chief security officers of their states.

However, in practice, they have limited authority over federal police forces deployed in their territories.

This disconnect has led to growing demands for state policing, especially in regions grappling with violent crime and militia attacks.

The Fulani militia threat, in particular, has been a flashpoint in Nigeria’s security debate.

Originally linked to clashes over grazing land between nomadic herders and farmers, the conflict has since escalated into widespread armed violence.

Many communities allege that some attackers operate with impunity due to federal indifference or covert protection.

The response from Nigeria’s police and security forces has often been criticized as slow, inadequate, or suspiciously selective.

This has fueled conspiracy theories and deepened ethnic and regional tensions.

Against this backdrop, Governor Udom’s public denunciation of the police adds weight to the call for urgent security reforms.

DDM understands that civic organizations, opposition politicians, and concerned citizens are demanding a transparent probe into the governor’s claims.

They insist that those who ordered the suspects’ release and the return of the rifles must be held accountable.

Many are also asking whether the police acted alone or followed directives from higher political offices.

The silence of the police in response to these serious allegations only adds to public suspicion.

Citizens are left wondering whether Nigeria still operates under a government committed to justice and rule of law.

Governor Udom’s warning must not be ignored.

If state efforts to curb insecurity are being sabotaged from within the system, then national stability is at risk.

This case should be a turning point for Nigeria’s leadership to re-examine how security agencies operate and who they truly serve.

If nothing is done, the consequences could be catastrophic.

The lives of innocent Nigerians hang in the balance.

Governor Udom has sounded the alarm.

Now, the nation, and its leaders, must decide whether they will listen.

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