The governor of Abia State, South East Nigeria, Okezie Ikpeazu, has urged the federal government to urgently open talks with IPOB, a pro-Biafra group, and similar groups around the country, as a means of tackling the rising insecurity in Nigeria.

 There have been deadly attacks against security agencies in the five states of Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Imo, Abia – that make up the South-east region.

Courts, as well as facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission, have also been attacked and set ablaze in the region.

As Usaman Umar reports from Abuja, Mr Ikpeazu said the attacks were not far from terrorism and that they are meant to “frighten the police, make people to be afraid and withdraw their civic responsibility”.