By Malachy Agbo
From technology-driven surveillance and rapid-response operations to forest security and intelligence-led policing, the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah-led administration has made security one of the central pillars of its development agenda. As the 2027 elections approach, the challenge is to protect these gains, establish the facts behind emerging controversies, and ensure that political competition does not come at the expense of public safety.
The former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Aremu Olusegun Osoba, offered an illuminating account of the security situation in Enugu State when he addressed participants at the recently concluded Nigeria Guild of Editors Conference in Enugu. He recounted how he had assured his wife that those responsible for abducting a Catholic seminarian and other worshippers at a church in Affa, Udi Local Government Area, would be apprehended. According to his account, he was subsequently pleased to learn that the suspects had been arrested.
The significance of that account goes beyond the apprehension of suspects. It highlights the importance of a security system capable of gathering intelligence, mobilising personnel, pursuing criminal networks and bringing suspected perpetrators before the law. It also underscores a fundamental responsibility of government: to ensure that criminal elements cannot operate with impunity or dictate the terms on which citizens live, worship, work and conduct their businesses.
The Affa incident was undoubtedly distressing. On August 2, 2026, gunmen abducted three people, including a seminarian, during a church service at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Inoyi, Affa community. Subsequent reports by the police and other media organisations documented arrests linked to the incident, the recovery of firearms and the eventual release of the remaining victims. These developments demonstrate the importance of coordinated security operations, although the initial attack also serves as a reminder that the threat of kidnapping has not been completely eliminated.
For Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the incident reinforces a principle that has defined his administration since its inception: security is not an optional component of governance – it is the foundation upon which economic growth, infrastructure development, education, healthcare, tourism and public confidence must rest.
When Mbah assumed office in May 2023, the South-East was grappling with the disruptive effects of the Monday sit-at-home order imposed by non-state actors. Enugu, as a major commercial and administrative centre in the region, experienced the economic and social consequences of restrictions that discouraged traders from opening their shops, workers from reporting to their workplaces, children from going to school and residents from moving freely.
Beyond the direct economic losses, the climate of fear affected transport operators, small-business owners, students, civil servants and families whose daily routines depended on the freedom to move around without intimidation.
The sit-at-home phenomenon also imposed less visible costs. Business owners faced uncertainty, workers lost productive hours, and investors had to consider whether their operations could function reliably in an environment where movement might be disrupted at very short notice. The most ignoble aspect of it is that most of the disruptive orders came from faceless voice notes.
The Mbah administration moved to end the compulsory Monday sit-at-home and other similar orders in Enugu State and restore normal economic activity. The policy direction was clear: no individual or group outside the constitutional order should possess the power to determine whether lawful businesses open or whether citizens can go about their legitimate activities.
This was not merely a question of reopening shops on Mondays. It was a question of restoring public authority, protecting livelihoods and defending the right of citizens to participate in economic and social life without coercion.
The administration also pursued measures aimed at removing unauthorised barricades and improving movement across the state, alongside efforts to strengthen security coordination and reduce the disruptions associated with excessive or poorly coordinated checkpoints.
These measures must ultimately be assessed by their practical effects: whether commuters can travel safely, traders can operate consistently, workers can reach their destinations and families can go about their daily lives without undue fear.
The objective should remain clear and measurable: public spaces must belong to the people, not to criminal groups or individuals seeking to impose their will through violence.
One of the most significant aspects of the Mbah administration’s security strategy is its emphasis on technology, surveillance, rapid response and inter-agency coordination.
Rather than relying exclusively on conventional patrols and reactive policing, the government has invested in infrastructure intended to improve the detection of threats, shorten response times and strengthen the capacity of security agencies to coordinate their operations.
At the centre of this approach is the Enugu State Command and Control Centre, formally inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on January 4, 2025. The facility integrates surveillance and communication capabilities to support security operations across the state.
In July 2026, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, commended the centre and the accompanying Distress Response Squad after visiting the facility. The squad operated more than 150 brand new security vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and linked to the Command Centre. The Inspector-General also praised the squad’s ability to respond rapidly when directed to an incident location.
In security operations, minutes can make a decisive difference. A timely response may prevent an assault from escalating, facilitate the rescue of an abducted person or enable officers to intercept suspects before they escape.
The administration has also invested in equipment intended to improve personnel protection and operational mobility. In December 2025, the Enugu State Security Trust Fund inaugurated two drones, 10 four-wheel-drive Hilux vehicles, 40 motorcycles, 400 bulletproof vests and 400 bulletproof helmets for security operations. These items were procured to complement existing surveillance infrastructure and the DRS fleet.
These investments demonstrate the breadth of the government’s stated approach: surveillance, mobility, equipment and inter-agency cooperation are being treated as complementary parts of a security system rather than isolated initiatives.
Indeed, some may ask: why motorbikes? The security challenge in Enugu is not confined to urban centres. Forests, rural roads and relatively isolated communities can provide cover for criminal groups, particularly where difficult terrain limits routine patrols and makes rapid intervention more complicated.
Strengthening the Enugu State Forest Guards is therefore an important element of a comprehensive security strategy.
The effectiveness of forest security depends on a combination of local intelligence, knowledge of the terrain, appropriate equipment, professional training and coordination with the police, military and other authorised agencies.
By strengthening the institutional framework for the Forest Guards and supporting joint operations, the administration has taken concrete steps to improve security coverage beyond the major towns.
The arrests connected to the Affa church abduction illustrate the importance of such collaboration. A joint operation involving the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, police, forest guards and other personnel led to arrests linked to the incident and the recovery of four AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of ammunition.
On August 14, the Enugu State Police Command also announced the arrest of 14 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly involved in operations in Enugu and other states, including suspects linked to the Affa incident. The state’s technology-led security strategy has helped reduce violent crime by more than 80 per cent.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the political atmosphere will inevitably become more tense and competitive. Governments will continue to explain, defend their records and secure a second term. Opposition parties will challenge the government and convince voters that their programmes offer a better future. That is a legitimate feature of democracy. This is what we desire to get from the opposition political parties and not unfounded allegations and misinformation.
Political competition becomes dangerous when violence, intimidation, deliberate misinformation or unsubstantiated allegations are used to influence public perception. No political party should seek votes through deceit and manipulation.
The Enugu State government has recently raised concerns about incidents involving the Nigeria Democratic Congress, including a confrontation at Akanu Ibiam International Airport and a shooting incident at the party’s state secretariat in Enugu.
According to the Secretary to the State Government Professor Chidiebere Onyia, the airport confrontation arose after the party allegedly attempted to organise a campaign event at the facility without obtaining the necessary approval from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. He said security agencies had advised the organisers to reconsider the event and that the ensuing confrontation required intervention to restore order.
The government also offered important clarifications concerning the shooting at the party’s secretariat, saying that the police were investigating the incident. A man, identified as Ifeanyi Nworie, had sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital for treatment. Sadly, he would later succumb to the injury. He also denied allegations that Governor Mbah’s Chief Security Officer was present at the secretariat during the shooting.
The police should conduct a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation, establish the sequence of events, identify those responsible for any offences and prosecute cases supported by admissible evidence.
The government has a legitimate responsibility to protect public order and secure critical infrastructure. Political parties, in turn, have a responsibility to comply with applicable laws, obtain required permits and ensure that their activities remain peaceful. Where disputes arise, they should be resolved through lawful procedures rather than confrontation.
The Governor Mbah administration has since accession demonstrated fidelity to his oath of office, which includes respect of the right to peaceful assembly and political participation.
One of the greatest risks in an electoral environment is the temptation to attribute every violent incident to government – even when evidence suggests otherwise.
An example was an incident at Obuofia in Nkanu West Local Government Area on September 12, 2026, wherein an opposition party alleged that the government was the masterminded of the violence. But an investigation by the police proves otherwise. Investigations revealed that the alleged perpetrators were actually members of the opposition party.
Enugu needs a public conversation in which facts are established, wrongdoing is punished and innocent people are not condemned because of their political affiliations.
Governor Mbah has stated that his administration’s ambition to build a larger and more competitive economy depends on sustained peace and security. The government welcomes peaceful political debate and association while rejecting politically-induced violence.
Mbah’s government is very confident in its policies and is prepared to explain its decisions, publish relevant performance data – as it did recently – and answer legitimate questions from citizens, journalists, civil-society organisations and political opponents.
Opposition parties, on their part, should be able to campaign, organise lawful meetings, criticise government policies constructively and present alternative programmes without hoodwinking. Their allegations should be evidence-based.
The electoral process must remain the constitutional means through which citizens choose their leaders. No party should attempt to obtain through violence what it should seek through persuasion and lawful democratic participation.
The right of Ndi Enugu to vote freely, organise peacefully and make informed decisions is inseparable from the state’s broader commitment to public safety. Like Mbah said recently, “I know how much our people value the peace and security we have worked so hard to establish in Enugu. Incidents such as these cause anxiety and deserve our full attention. Every citizen, whatever their political affiliation, must be able to exercise their political rights without fear or violence.
The Enugu State Government has made its position clear regarding allegations of involvement in this violence. Our fundamental responsibility as a government is to protect lives, uphold the law, and ensure that justice is pursued without favour.”
The above assurance caps it all. Indeed, Tomorrow is here!
•Dr. Agbo is Enugu State Commissioner for Information.