A prominent Biafra activist, Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, has accused European nations of fueling the persistent killings and insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East, claiming their actions are driven by a quest to control the region’s vast oil and gas resources.
Orabueze, who serves as the Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the self-proclaimed United States of Biafra (USB), made the bold allegation in a statement on her X (formerly Twitter) account on February 13, 2025.
Her remarks come in response to Nigeria’s recent signing of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) deal, a multibillion-dollar project that will transport gas over 4,128 kilometers from Nigeria through Niger and Algeria, eventually reaching Italy via the Mediterranean pipeline, Transmed.
“Europe’s Oil Ambition Is Behind South-East Bloodshed”
Reacting to the development, Orabueze claimed that foreign interests are orchestrating insecurity and military operations in Biafraland to seize control of its rich oil and gas reserves.
“Europe’s insatiable hunger for oil in Biafraland is the real reason behind the continued invasion, killings, and occupation of the United States of Biafra by Nigeria. This invasion will be resisted. Biafrans must defend their land,” she declared.
She further warned that any attempt to forcibly extract oil from the region would not go unchallenged, adding that the struggle for Biafra’s sovereignty was far from over.
Rising Tensions and Calls for Action
Orabueze’s statement comes as Biafra agitators ramp up calls for the release of Simon Ekpa, a key separatist leader arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024, and Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in Nigerian government custody since his controversial rearrest in June 2021.
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Meanwhile, human rights watchdog International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) recently reported that at least 180 people were allegedly killed in the South-East between December 2024 and January 2025, with both security forces and non-state actors implicated in the violence.
As tensions escalate, Orabueze’s accusations add another layer to the growing unrest, further fueling concerns about the future of the South-East and its long-standing agitation for independence.