Don’t Use Edo Killings as Excuse to Attack Igbos – IPOB Warns Arewa Group

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a warning to the Arewa group in Northern Nigeria, urging them not to use the recent killings in Edo State as a pretext to incite violence against the Igbo community. The pro-Biafran group claims to have received intelligence suggesting that attacks are being planned against Igbos in the North in retaliation for the lynching of northern hunters in Edo.

In a statement released on Monday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB stressed that Igbos had no involvement in the killing of the hunters. The group pointed out that at least 16 northerners were lynched in Edo after being falsely accused of kidnapping, adding that such incidents should not be turned into an excuse for ethnic violence.

IPOB condemned what it described as coordinated attacks by Fulani extremists, accusing them of manipulating ethnic tensions for their own benefit. The group also claimed that threats against Igbos in the North had already begun, citing the killing of Uche Abagana in Kano as an example of targeted violence.

The group urged indigenous Hausa communities to resist being used by external elements seeking to escalate ethnic conflicts. IPOB further called on the Igbo population in Northern Nigeria to be vigilant and ready to defend themselves against potential attacks.

Reaffirming its stance as a peaceful movement, IPOB stated that Igbos will no longer accept unprovoked assaults on their lives and properties. The group also advocated for unity among all indigenous Nigerian ethnic groups, arguing that colonial structures continue to fuel division and serve foreign interests rather than those of the Nigerian people.