Igbo women have sent a strong message to the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa. They asked him to shift focus from the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and face the killer herdsmen displacing communities across the South East. They insisted that if Gen. Musa truly wants peace, he must tackle the real threat.
Speaking under the platform of the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), they reacted sharply to the recent warning by the CDS against promoting IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) on social media. At a community meeting in Omor, Anambra State, the CDS, represented by Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar, warned that spreading unverified information would endanger unity and peace.
He also claimed that IPOB’s actions were harmful to both the South East and Nigeria.
IWA countered by saying, “IPOB is not a terrorists group but a peaceful movement protesting the marginalisation and continued exclusion of the South East from the scheme of things in Nigeria.” They challenged Gen. Musa to push the federal government towards genuine dialogue instead of blackmail.
The women reminded the CDS, “We want to remind Gen. Musa that IPOB members are not terrorists but our children who are protesting the ill-treatment and marginalization of the South East from the scheme of things in Nigeria.”
They pointed to long-standing injustices against the South East since the civil war.
From 1966, after the assassination of Gen. Aguiyironsi, no Igbo has ruled Nigeria. IWA lamented the consistent marginalization of Igbos in political appointments and federal establishments. They stated that even in the military and police, promotions for Igbo officers have been rare, leading to growing disinterest among Igbo youths.
The women explained that IPOB’s protests stem from real grievances. South East youths face unemployment and exclusion after graduation.
They want inclusion and fair treatment.
They questioned why the federal government releases “repentant” terrorists while keeping IPOB members locked up.
They asked, “Why is the federal government killing IPOB members but granting amnesty to bandits and mass murderers who have not stopped killing innocent citizens, including security agents?”
IWA accused Fulani herdsmen of carrying AK-47 rifles in South East communities, despite no record of cattle rustling in the region.
They said, “For them to carry AK-47s to shoot people shows they have an evil agenda because they don’t shoot and run but shoot and stay.”
The group insisted that IPOB’s demands were legitimate. They stressed that the real causes of the mayhem in the South East are killer herdsmen and criminal elements, not IPOB. They urged Gen. Musa to focus on fighting the criminals if he truly wants peace.
IWA said, “Gen. Musa should understand that the problem of the South East is not IPOB. Our problem is the rampaging Fulani herdsmen busy displacing communities across the zone.”
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They called on him to send troops into the forests to confront the killers terrorizing farmers and women.
They maintained that IPOB has always operated peacefully. They said that even during protests, IPOB members never bore arms. Yet, security forces have continued to brutalize and kill them without fair trial.
IWA blamed the crisis in the South East on the federal government’s military operations like Operation Python Dance. They argued that before the military intervention, the South East enjoyed relative peace. They pointed to the abduction of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and the military siege that followed, as the turning point.
They said that even peaceful protests, like celebrating Donald Trump’s election, ended with killings in Port Harcourt, Onitsha, and Aba. They accused political leaders of collaborating with the government to militarize the zone and demonize IPOB.
The women called out the government’s hypocrisy. They said, “Who are those turning security checkpoints into extortion points? Who are the ones harassing passengers on the roads?”
They asked Gen. Musa to probe the real perpetrators of insecurity in the region.
IWA said IPOB ended the sit-at-home protest when it was hijacked by criminals, but the federal government refused to withdraw the military. They described it as a deliberate plot to seize control of the region.
They warned that many South East youths have been forced to migrate due to harassment by security forces. They condemned the burning of markets and communities by security operatives after criminal attacks on checkpoints.
The women questioned why reprisal attacks happen only in the South East, unlike the North where similar attacks do not lead to village sacking.
They accused security agents of systematically driving out the South East youth population to weaken community defense against future threats.
IWA raised concerns about the growing presence of strangers in South East villages.
They said, “There is an invasion of South East by strange faces doing all sorts of menial jobs and surveying our land.”
The women linked the sacking of villages to a larger plan to seize South East lands. They urged the government to dismantle security roadblocks, which have turned into extortion centers causing hardship and delays.