Lawyer Ejiofor Raises Alarm Over Alleged Infiltration Of South-East Forests By Gunmen, Urges Security Action | Sahara Reporters

He employed the Department of State Services (DSS) to dismantle all criminal networks linked to kidnapping and attacks on rural communities in the region.

Human rights lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has raised concerns over alleged infiltration of forests in the South-East by armed groups.

He employed the Department of State Services (DSS) to dismantle all criminal networks linked to kidnapping and attacks on rural communities in the region.

Ejiofor, in a statement titled “The Gathering Storm Over Ala-Igbo: The NYSC Kidnap Mystery, Fulani Terror Suspects And The Dangers Lurking In Our Forests,” dated October 24, 2026, said the reported abduction of National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State highlighted wider security concerns across the region.

He called on the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, to go beyond arrests by identifying the alleged groups’ sponsors, financiers and suppliers, while ensuring that security operations remained lawful and protected innocent residents.

The lawyer said he did not intend to intervene in the controversy surrounding the circumstances of the corps members’ rescue, particularly conflicting accounts from their parents and security agencies over whether ransom was paid.

He, however, maintained that the incident required a broader examination of the security threats facing travellers and communities in the South-East.

“Both sides have maintained their respective positions, and this controversy may not end anytime soon. My intervention, therefore, is not to adjudicate on that dispute, but to draw attention to the more disturbing security implications of this incident,” he said.

Ejiofor commended the security operatives involved in the operation, expressing gratitude that the abducted corps members returned safely.

He said the circumstances surrounding their release should nevertheless be properly established and communicated to the public.

“We must, however, distinguish commendation from complacency: the circumstances of their release must be properly established, and the public deserves credible answers,” he stated.

The lawyer expressed particular interest in the reported operation led by DSS Director-General Ajayi and the alleged arrest of suspects described in the statement as Fulani jihadists.

He argued that the reported arrests should prompt a sustained investigation into the activities of armed groups allegedly operating from forests across the region.

Ejiofor recalled previous warnings about the alleged infiltration of South-East forests by armed men whom he described as jihadists masquerading as herders.

He urged authorities to investigate the allegations and take measures to prevent forests from becoming bases for kidnapping and other violent crimes.

“The implications of these arrests are frightening. They mean that our forests are no longer merely expanses of vegetation; in areas where these armed jihadist groups establish operational bases beyond effective state control, the forests can become launching pads for kidnapping, terror and territorial intimidation,” he said.

The lawyer warned that unchecked insecurity could expose travellers, farmers and rural communities to attacks, extortion and displacement.

He said the consequences could extend beyond individual incidents of kidnapping to undermine the safety and livelihoods of people living in affected communities.

Ejiofor also called for an independent investigation into reports of violent incursions and displacement in agrarian communities, including Ukpaka and Mbanano in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

He alleged that residents had been driven from their farms and that women and girls had suffered abuse, urging authorities not to ignore the claims.

“Allegations, supported by eyewitness accounts, that residents of these affected communities have been driven from their farms and that women and girls have suffered abuse must not be dismissed or buried under official silence,” he said.

The lawyer added that any established incidents of such violence would represent a serious failure by the authorities to protect lives and property.

He appealed to the DSS chief to ensure that investigations extended beyond suspected foot soldiers to the networks allegedly financing and supplying armed groups.

“My appeal to DSS Director-General, is simple: do not stop at arrests. Pursue credible intelligence, dismantle the operational networks, identify those financing and supplying these armed jihadist groups masquerading as Fulani herdsmen, and support lawful, coordinated efforts to secure our forests,” Ejiofor stated.

He warned that arresting suspects without dismantling their alleged support networks could allow criminal operations to continue.

“Arresting the foot soldiers while leaving their bases, sponsors and supply chains intact is akin to cutting the branches of a poisonous tree while watering its roots,” he said.

Ejiofor also called for the enforcement of anti-open-grazing laws enacted in parts of the South-East, while stressing that security operations should not result in indiscriminate profiling based on ethnicity.

He stated that responsibility for criminal acts should rest with the perpetrators and their collaborators rather than an entire ethnic group.

“Equally, the criminality discussed in this text is not attributed to an entire ethnic group; culpability belongs to the perpetrators and their collaborators, not to people who share their ancestry,” he said.

The lawyer cited experiences in Benue, Plateau and parts of Uzo-Uwani in Enugu State as warnings about the potential consequences of failing to address insecurity in rural communities.

Describing the situation as increasingly dangerous, he said authorities needed to act before attacks and displacement became more widespread.

“Ala-Igbo is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, and the fuse may already be burning,” he stated.

Ejiofor urged security agencies to sustain operations in forest areas, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle criminal networks through lawful measures.

He said the reported arrests should mark the beginning of a broader effort to improve security across the South-East rather than the conclusion of the operation.

“The forests must be secured, vulnerable communities protected, and every criminal network dismantled through lawful and decisive action,” he said.