Analytical Assessment of the Role of Ethnic Militias in Creating Security Vacuums in South East Nigeria

Ethnic militias in South East Nigeria, including IPOB's Eastern Security Network and various community vigilante formations, have both filled and created security vacuums through their operations, and analytical assessment of this paradox provides important insights for security governance policy in the region. This study analytically assessed the role of ethnic militias in security governance in Imo, Anambra, and Ebonyi States, South East Nigeria, from 2020 to 2023. A mixed-methods analytical design combining secondary data analysis and qualitative fieldwork was employed. ACLED conflict event data for the three states were analysed for patterns of militia-related security events, and structured interviews were conducted with 24 community leaders, 12 security officials, and 8 human rights researchers with South East field experience. Security vacuum analysis examined areas of state security retraction correlated with militia activity escalation. Results showed that ESN operations were associated with a 47 percent reduction in reported conventional robbery in surveyed communities but a 213 percent increase in targeted violence against government officials and security personnel. Communities with militia presence reported higher fear of nocturnal movement (72.3 percent) than communities without militia presence (41.5 percent), despite lower conventional crime. The simultaneous security provision and insecurity generation dynamic was confirmed by all qualitative informants. The study provides an original analytical contribution to the militia-security vacuum paradox and recommends a security governance normalisation strategy for South East Nigeria.

Keywords: ethnic militias, security vacuum, South East Nigeria, ESN, security governance