IPOB Calls for Unity Among Igbo Leaders to Address Insecurity in Southeast
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on Igbo politicians to stop engaging in political infighting and instead collaborate to address the root causes of insecurity in the Southeast. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the pro-Biafran group emphasized that the region’s growing instability is being fueled by issues such as the continued detention of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, widespread youth unemployment, and the controversial “shoot-at-sight” policy employed by security forces.
IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, stressed the importance of collective action to combat insecurity and prevent external forces from exploiting the situation. He argued that political witch-hunts and backbiting must end in order to tackle the real issues affecting the region. Powerful claimed that the current unrest in the Southeast was largely due to the activities of government-backed criminal elements.
The statement read, in part: “Politicians from the Southeast must wake up and work together to end the insecurity in the region. They should stop sponsoring armed robbers and political thugs in an attempt to discredit the legitimate actions of IPOB. If this were not true, why have the Southeast governors not followed through on their pledge to visit President Bola Tinubu to seek the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu? Their failure to do so suggests they may be benefiting from the violence, as it leads to increased federal security budgets.”
IPOB’s statement also accused some Southeast governors of colluding with external and internal enemies of the Igbo people. The group believes there is a coordinated effort to diminish the Biafran independence movement by portraying IPOB’s struggle as a criminal endeavor. They called on Igbo politicians to explain why they are not working together to end criminal activities in the region.
“Some governors appear to be in cahoots with enemies of the Igbo race. There is a clear plan to reduce the fight for Biafran independence to a mere criminal cause, undermining IPOB’s peaceful movement for a UN-supervised referendum,” the statement continued.
IPOB also reflected on the history of peace in the Southeast, noting that the region was once regarded as one of the safest in Nigeria before the federal government’s actions, including the infamous 2016 Nkpor massacre and the violent Operation Python Dance, undermined stability. The group holds that the actions of the federal government, aided by certain local politicians, have entrenched insecurity in the region.
The statement further accused some Igbo governors of deliberately obstructing the release of Nnamdi Kanu, as they fear his release would end the insecurity that benefits them politically. “We know that some current and former governors have vowed to prevent the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because they are direct beneficiaries of the ongoing insecurity in the region,” said Powerful.
IPOB called for an end to political divisions within the Igbo community, urging all stakeholders to unite in distinguishing between criminals and legitimate activists. The group also promised to continue advocating for peace in the region, particularly as the holiday season approaches.
“IPOB is a global, peaceful movement, and we will take responsibility for ensuring peace prevails in the Southeast, especially during the festive period,” the statement concluded.
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