The Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has called on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, to focus military efforts on combating killer herdsmen terrorizing communities in the South East, rather than targeting members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Responding to recent comments by the CDS warning against the promotion of IPOB activities, the women, led by their National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, insisted that the real threat to peace in the South East is the rampaging herders, not IPOB.
During a community engagement in Omor, Anambra State, General Musa — represented by Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar — had cautioned the South East against supporting IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), particularly through social media. He warned that such activities posed risks to both regional stability and national unity.
However, in a strongly-worded statement, IWA countered that IPOB is a peaceful movement seeking an end to the decades-long marginalisation of the South East. The group challenged the Defence Chief to advise the federal government to engage IPOB in dialogue rather than resorting to “propaganda and blackmail.”
“We want to remind Gen. Musa that IPOB members are not terrorists but our children who are protesting the ill-treatment and marginalisation of the South East,” Chimezie said. “Since the civil war, Ndigbo have been systematically excluded from the Nigerian political and economic structure.”
The women highlighted longstanding grievances, including the South East’s political marginalisation, underrepresentation in security agencies, and reduced opportunities for employment and advancement compared to other regions.
IWA also criticised the government’s handling of insecurity, questioning why captured terrorists and bandits are routinely granted amnesty while peaceful IPOB members are detained indefinitely.
“Why is the federal government killing IPOB members but granting amnesty to mass murderers? Why allow armed herdsmen to roam freely while peaceful protesters are hunted down?” Chimezie queried.
They accused Fulani herdsmen of displacing communities across the South East and insisted that genuine peace could only be achieved if the federal government confronted the real security threats in the region.
“Fulani herdsmen do not need AK-47 rifles in the South East where cattle rustling does not occur. Their activities—killing farmers and raping women—prove they have a sinister agenda. If Gen. Musa genuinely wants peace, he should move his men to the bushes and flush out these killer herdsmen,” the statement read.
The Igbo women reiterated that IPOB has maintained a peaceful stance despite continuous provocation and alleged that security agencies have mismanaged the group’s agitation through excessive force.
“We see IPOB’s protests on social media; we have never seen them with arms. IPOB remains a peaceful organisation fighting for justice without firing a bullet,” they concluded.
The group urged the federal government to abandon its “blame game” and pursue sincere dialogue as the only path to restoring peace and security in the South East.
Comments