The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has accused soldiers operating in the South East of disobeying the directive of the newly sworn in Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, to withdraw from mounting roadblocks across the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the organisation observed that soldiers continued to operate roadblocks in the South East despite the defence minister’s public order directing the military to withdraw from checkpoint duties.
According to HURIWA, the defence minister may have been misled into believing that his directive had been fully implemented. The group expressed concern that contrary to the expectation that soldiers are trained to strictly obey orders from their commanders, military checkpoints remained widespread across the South East during the Yuletide season.
HURIWA alleged that soldiers, alongside police officers, were seen manning hundreds of roadblocks in the region, armed with weapons and ammunition. The group claimed that personnel at these checkpoints were engaged in extortion of motorists and causing severe traffic congestion for road users.
The human rights organisation described the situation as deeply troubling, noting that the continued presence of military personnel at roadblocks undermines the authority of the defence minister and raises questions about operational discipline within the armed forces. HURIWA also warned that failure to comply with the minister’s directive could erode public trust in the military and negatively impact efforts to combat insecurity in the country.
General Musa had previously stated that withdrawing soldiers from checkpoints was one of his key strategies to improve internal security operations. The defence minister emphasised that the military should focus on counterinsurgency, anti-terrorism operations, and other core security responsibilities, while police officers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, would take over checkpoint duties from the army.
Speaking during his screening at the Senate, General Musa assured lawmakers that reducing the military’s presence at checkpoints would not compromise security, but instead allow soldiers to concentrate on combating insurgency and other high-risk security threats.
For decades, soldiers have been deployed to man checkpoints across Nigerian roads, particularly in volatile regions, to support civil authorities in maintaining law and order. While these deployments have occasionally been necessary to address security challenges, they have also attracted criticism from civil rights groups and members of the public. Complaints have often centred on abuse of authority, extortion of motorists, and unnecessary harassment at roadblocks.
HURIWA called on the Federal Government, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the military high command to ensure full compliance with General Musa’s directive. The organisation also urged the authorities to put mechanisms in place to prevent abuses, restore public confidence in the military, and address traffic and safety issues caused by illegal roadblocks.
The human rights group warned that continued disobedience by military personnel could exacerbate tensions between security forces and the civilian population, potentially undermining national security objectives and the credibility of Nigeria’s newly appointed defence minister.
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