“Stop Silent Ethnic Cleansing in Imo, or We May Take Up Arms,” IPOB Warns Nigerian Government

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a stark warning to the Nigerian government, alleging a covert campaign of ethnic cleansing targeting Igbo youths in the South East, particularly in Orlu, Imo State. In a statement released by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Ema Powerful, the group accused the Nigerian Army and Police of orchestrating these actions, which it described as a “silent genocide.”

The statement, titled “Nigerian Government is Secretly Silencing the South East Region,” expressed deep concern over the extrajudicial killings and disappearances of Igbo youths, citing a recent incident involving the alleged killing of youths from Obidi Ogberuru in Ihite-Owerri, Orlu, by Nigerian soldiers.

“These youths were conducting their daily activities peacefully when they were confronted and killed by Nigerian Army personnel,” the statement claimed. IPOB further accused the Nigerian government of sustaining what it described as a “silent ethnic cleansing” initiated during the Buhari administration and continued under President Tinubu’s government.

IPOB’s statement called on Igbo leaders, the international community, and human rights organizations to recognize and act against what it termed as a systematic plan to decimate the Igbo population through forced disappearances, harassment, and killings. The group warned that the ongoing situation might lead to a forced armed resistance if not addressed, reiterating that the Igbo people would not accept what it described as “forced unity” under such dire circumstances.

“The heavy militarization of the South East is a deliberate strategy to make the region unsafe and to provoke a reaction that could justify a broader conflict,” the statement alleged. IPOB also demanded a referendum for the people of the South East to decide their future in Nigeria, arguing that the current strategy of repression and intimidation would only deepen the region’s discontent.

IPOB’s statement concluded with a stern warning to the Nigerian government and its security forces, asserting that any further bloodshed could lead to serious consequences and that the Igbo people would not stand idly by in the face of what they perceive as targeted violence against their community.