Senator Orji Kalu Must Provide Evidence of Alleged 30,000 Killings Linked to Us — IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra has called on Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to provide evidence backing his claim that IPOB and the Eastern Security Network were responsible for the killing of 30,000 people in the South-East. The demand was issued in a statement released on Saturday by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who insisted that the senator must either present verifiable proof or withdraw the allegation and apologise.

IPOB described the accusation as a grave matter that goes beyond politics and said Kalu must publicly substantiate the figures he mentioned. The group went on to level a series of allegations against the senator, accusing him of misgovernance during his time as Abia State governor and of enabling insecurity through political deals that allegedly empowered criminal networks. IPOB claimed that the ceding of the Lokpanta market along the Enugu–Port Harcourt expressway to criminal groups contributed to kidnappings and other security challenges in the Enugu–Aba corridor.

Further accusations included claims of mismanaged state resources, entrenched political patronage, and the use of the Bakassi Vigilante Group for political objectives dating back to Kalu’s early years in office. IPOB also referenced an alleged killing linked to the Bakassi Boys, saying it was politically motivated. None of these allegations has been independently verified.

The group restated that it is a nonviolent movement operating within legal frameworks and maintained that its members are unarmed. It defended the Eastern Security Network as a community-based vigilante initiative established to counter attacks by armed groups in rural areas, insisting that there is no evidence showing ESN aggression against civilians. IPOB also distanced itself from armed factions such as Autopilot and the so-called Biafra Liberation Army, which it alleges are backed by political interests, including Kalu.

IPOB said the senator must present the identities and proof of the 30,000 people he claimed were killed by IPOB and ESN, stressing that both the public and international observers await substantiation. The group said Kalu should apologise if he is unable to provide evidence. The exchange adds to ongoing tensions in the South-East, where political actors, security agencies, and separatist organisations continue to trade accusations amid a complex security environment.