SECURITY POLICIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The implementation of security policies in southeastern Nigeria has sparked intense debate, particularly regarding their negative impact on human rights. This paper critically analyzes how government security strategies, designed to address separatist movements and some activities in the southeast have led to human rights violations. Though the Nigerian government claims that military operations like Operation Python Dance are vital for national security, several reports show significant human rights violations, including extrajudicial murders, arbitrary detentions, torture, and the repression of political dissent. The paper used both primary and secondary sources to obtain information and employs Structural Violence Theory to examine the systemic elements driving these issues in the southeast. Problems such as IPOB crackdowns demonstrate how state-led security measures have damaged civil liberties, emphasizing the conflict between national security imperatives and fundamental human rights. The facts and evidence on ground suggest that while security measures are essential for maintaining peace and order, their execution has often resulted in excessive force and widespread civilian suffering. The paper argues for a more rights-centered approach to security that will ensure the protection of both national integrity and individual freedoms. It strongly recommends security reforms, legal accountability, and alternative conflict resolution mechanisms to balance national security with human rights protections, as well as adherence to international human rights standards, and community-based security initiatives to foster trust and harmony between the government and the people.