Sad Tale of Insecurity: Ex-Policeman Flees After Escalating Threats from Proscribed Group in Southeast Nigeria

The troubling circumstances surrounding the resignation of a former police officer, Aguda Timothy from the Nigeria Police Force have emerged, revealing a harrowing tale of threats, violence, and fear.

Aguda, who had been stationed in Imo State, one of the States hardest hit by violence from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), was forced to leave his post after a series of personal attacks and threats from the proscribed group.

The IPOB, which the Nigerian government has officially labelled a terrorist organisation, has been behind several high-profile attacks on law enforcement in the Southeast, an area plagued by unrest and violence targeting security personnel.

Officer Aguda, born in Ekiti State on January 2, 1981, had played a key role in law enforcement in Imo, where numerous IPOB members had been arrested, prosecuted, and in some cases, killed during confrontations with police.

Aguda’s enforcement actions made him a prime target for the IPOB, and over time, he began receiving direct death threats.

According to reports, the group vowed to eliminate both Aguda and his family. Unable to locate him initially, suspected IPOB members tragically murdered his uncle and another relative in an apparent revenge attack.

Fearing for his life and the safety of his family, Aguda requested a transfer to Edo State, hoping the move would allow him to escape the escalating threats.

However, even in his new post, the danger followed him. In December 2022, tragedy struck when Aguda's young son was abducted and killed, an act believed to have been carried out by IPOB members continuing their vendetta against him.

In the face of this relentless campaign of violence and loss, Aguda decided to resign from the Nigeria Police Force, abandoning his post and fleeing to an unknown location.

Efforts to locate him have so far been unsuccessful, with his home deserted and his current whereabouts unknown.
Local news outlets have reported that his resignation and disappearance have further highlighted the danger faced by security personnel in Nigeria's volatile southeast region.

The region has seen numerous attacks on police and military officers, with IPOB members implicated in several high-profile killings and arson attacks on police stations and security vehicles.

In one particularly deadly incident, eleven people were killed at Obikabia Junction in Abia State. Mondays in the Southeast have now become a day of enforced shutdowns, with streets deserted and businesses closed as part of a weekly “sit-at-home” protest observed under the orders of IPOB, paralyzing much of the region's activity.