The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly criticized Nigerian security agencies for repeatedly linking its members to various crimes without evidence, calling it hypocritical and unjust. The group said this pattern has been ongoing for years and accused the authorities of fabricating or exaggerating incidents to tarnish its image.
In a statement released on Tuesday by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group expressed frustration over what it described as the government’s deliberate attempt to associate every criminal activity—be it robbery, kidnapping, or violence—with IPOB and its vigilante arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
IPOB referenced the recent arrest of a woman in Katsina State who was reportedly dressed in full military gear and found with loaded magazines. They questioned why such incidents are not used to generalize or condemn the Nigerian Army the same way IPOB is regularly blamed for crimes across the country. They claimed the government chooses to treat these cases as isolated, while rushing to label IPOB as a terrorist group.
The group further accused the security forces of turning a blind eye to armed Fulani herdsmen who have attacked farming communities, stating that no similar outrage or nationwide labeling is directed at them. Instead, IPOB said the government gives those groups leniency, cash, and so-called amnesty deals, while unarmed youths from the South-East are detained without trial for supporting self-determination.
IPOB said the pattern of blaming them for every crime, even when unrelated criminals take responsibility, is a strategy to control public perception rather than ensure justice. They added that the selective handling of cases reveals a deeper issue of ethnic bias within the country’s security system.
The group warned that the international community is watching and demanded an immediate end to what it called the reckless criminalization of its members. They called on the media and authorities to stop spreading what they described as lies and propaganda designed to discredit their movement.
