A Leopard Can Never Change Its Spots — IPOB Dares Orji Kalu to Prove His Claim of 30,000 Deaths

IPOB has challenged Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to provide evidence for his recent claim that 30,000 people in the South East lost their lives as a result of actions linked to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The group dismissed the allegation as unfounded and politically motivated, insisting that neither Kanu nor IPOB has been responsible for any deaths or destruction in the region.

In a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the organisation argued that Kalu’s comments were part of a broader effort to discredit IPOB and its leader. It said the senator must substantiate his assertions if he expects the public to take them seriously.

IPOB maintained that its agitation has remained non-violent, while members have instead faced arrests, torture, disappearances and extrajudicial killings carried out by state-backed security personnel. According to the group, the insecurity and violence recorded in the South East were engineered by government forces and certain political actors seeking to frame IPOB and the Eastern Security Network.

The statement accused Kalu of working with authorities to suppress Kanu, adding that he benefited from Kanu’s public support during his own legal troubles but later aligned himself with those opposed to the movement. IPOB also suggested that Kalu was among those who influenced judicial decisions against Kanu and contributed to his detention in Sokoto.

It further alleged that attempts to dismantle IPOB date back to 2015 and included efforts to abduct and forcibly bring Kanu back to Nigeria. The group insisted that available evidence shows its members have repeatedly been victims, not perpetrators, of violence.

IPOB criticised Kalu’s political record and ongoing corruption case, arguing that his statements serve longstanding agreements with federal authorities aimed at weakening the movement. It claimed that politicians from the region, particularly those aligned with the ruling party, share responsibility for the instability affecting the South East.

The group reiterated its call for an independent investigation into all acts of violence in the region since 2015, saying such scrutiny has been consistently resisted by those aware of the real perpetrators. It warned that past actions carried out under Kalu’s leadership would eventually come under public scrutiny, stating that history would deliver its own verdict.