TDThe Indigenous People of Biafra has criticised the recently concluded South-East Security Summit in Aba, describing it as a “hypocritical jamboree” designed to divert attention from what it called state-sponsored violence and to justify the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a press statement issued on Friday, IPOB’s spokesperson and Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, alleged that the summit was orchestrated to shift focus away from what the group described as the real causes of insecurity in the South-East.
IPOB Rejects Insecurity Narrative
The group insisted that the South-East remains largely peaceful, arguing that claims of widespread insecurity have been exaggerated to legitimise Kanu’s prosecution and imprisonment.
According to the statement, insecurity in the region emerged only after Kanu’s arrest and extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021 and the Federal Government’s refusal to release him following the Court of Appeal’s 2022 judgment.
IPOB alleged that the violence witnessed between 2023 and 2025 was deliberately manufactured by state actors, an allegation for which it provided no independent evidence.
Questions Over IPOB Proscription
IPOB questioned the basis for its proscription in 2017, asking what specific acts of terrorism or violence justified the decision by South-East governors and the Federal Government.
The organisation maintained that it had been engaged in peaceful agitation for self-determination before the ban and accused security agencies of using excessive force against its members during military operations, including Operations Python Dance I and II.
Allegations Against Security Forces
The group further accused the Nigerian military of attacks on civilians and communities in the South-East, including the destruction of the Ekeụtụtụ Market in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
It also alleged that security forces were responsible for the burning of the market and surrounding villages, while criticising the security summit for failing to address what it described as abuses committed during military operations.
Calls for Action on Armed Herders
IPOB also criticised the summit for allegedly overlooking attacks by armed herders on communities in parts of the South-East.
The group claimed that the Eastern Security Network has played a significant role in protecting communities from criminal attacks, while accusing authorities of unfairly targeting the outfit.
Appeal to International Community
The organisation called on the international community and human rights organisations to focus attention on what it described as the unlawful detention of Kanu, the demilitarisation of the South-East, and alleged attacks on communities by security forces and armed herders.
IPOB maintained that the region does not require additional security summits but rather measures to address what it described as the root causes of insecurity.
The statement concluded by reiterating the group’s demand for Kanu’s unconditional release and its longstanding call for self-determination, while insisting that history would judge those it accused of contributing to instability in the South-East.
End Note
The allegations contained in IPOB’s statement reflect the organisation’s claims and have not been independently verified.
Nigerian authorities have consistently maintained that security operations in the South-East are aimed at tackling criminality and preserving public order.
