The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the international community to hold the Nigerian government accountable for alleged extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and other acts of violence against civilians in the South-East. In a damning statement released on Friday, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of waging “genocide” against the people of the region.
The statement was issued in response to a report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), which highlighted the growing concerns about the activities of Nigerian security forces in the South-East. According to the report, Nigerian military personnel have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians, many of whom were allegedly arrested without cause, tortured, and dumped in secret locations across northern Nigeria.
In his statement, Powerful described the situation as “a military siege and terror” that has led to widespread suffering among the Igbo community. “There has been military siege and terror in the East orchestrated by the Nigerian government,” Powerful said, stressing that the current crisis is a result of deliberate, state-sponsored violence aimed at silencing the people of the region.
Mass Abductions and Secret Detentions
IPOB claims that tens of thousands of South-East residents have been unlawfully detained and subjected to horrific abuse. “Over 6,000 innocent civilians were blindfolded or face-bagged and abducted late at night. These individuals were taken from the East and dumped in secret military prisons across seven northern states,” the IPOB spokesperson alleged.
The report cited seven states—Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja—where detainees were reportedly held in deplorable conditions. Many of the victims are believed to have died in these secret detention centers, with WAWA Army Cantonment in Niger State highlighted as a particularly notorious site for unlawful military trials and forced disappearances.
The IPOB further accused Nigerian forces of using these detentions as part of a broader strategy to suppress self-determination efforts in the region. “Over 300 Igbo communities were raided, with 6,000 homes destroyed and over 180,000 people displaced. The destruction of properties alone amounted to N450 billion,” Powerful stated, adding that the violence has been both widespread and systematic, aimed at forcing the population to flee their homes in fear for their lives.
Economic Devastation and Escalating Suffering
The IPOB’s statement also detailed the economic consequences of the ongoing military operations, noting the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the plundering of resources. “N3 trillion worth of properties were seized illegally through extortion at military checkpoints. This is not only an attack on the people but also on the region’s economy,” the group asserted.
These allegations are consistent with other reports of widespread abuse, including arbitrary arrests, illegal taxation, and the destruction of vital infrastructure in the South-East. The violence, IPOB claims, has displaced over a million people, with many being forced into temporary refugee camps in neighboring states.
A Region Under Siege
Despite the violence, IPOB maintains that the South-East is the most peaceful region in Nigeria, with local security challenges exacerbated by the actions of the government. “The Nigerian government and its security forces, along with contracted non-state actors, are behind the escalating insecurity in the region. These forces are doing everything to make the East unsafe,” Powerful claimed.
He further argued that the Nigerian government has been trying to frame IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as the primary culprits behind the unrest. “All the violence attributed to IPOB and ESN is part of a deliberate attempt to blackmail us locally and internationally. The government’s aim is to provoke us into armed resistance, but we have resisted their provocations,” Powerful stated.
Biafran Lives Matter
At the heart of IPOB’s demands is the call for a referendum on the region’s self-determination. The group insists that its struggle is rooted in the right of the people of the South-East to determine their political future. “The Nigerian government has killed thousands and displaced many innocent people, all in an effort to suppress our legal and legitimate demand for self-determination,” the statement emphasized.
IPOB’s leadership has consistently argued that the international community must intervene to prevent further bloodshed and ensure that the people of Biafra can exercise their right to self-determination through a peaceful referendum. “We remain focused on the Biafra Referendum that will be supervised by the international community, and we urge all nations that believe in justice and human rights to stand with us,” Powerful declared.
International Response and Accountability
In its call for global action, IPOB has pointed to the Intersociety report as a crucial piece of evidence that should not be ignored by the international community. The group insists that the Nigerian government must be held accountable for its actions, accusing the military and security forces of engaging in terrorism and genocide.
“The Nigerian government should be held accountable for terrorism and genocidal actions they carried out against innocent Biafrans. Biafran lives matter. We deserve justice,” the IPOB spokesperson concluded.
