Human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, says he and his family are facing an “imminent and grave threat” to their lives, allegedly orchestrated by powerful figures in his Anambra community.
In a petition dated December 29, 2025, and circulated to journalists on Tuesday, December 30, Ejiofor said it had become “imperative” to alert Nigerians and the international community to what he called “a calculated campaign of intimidation and hostile conduct.”
He recalled that he had earlier raised the alarm about “manifest and credible threats” to his life and that of his family, which provoked “calls, messages, and expressions of deep concern from well‑meaning individuals across all strata of society.”
“Regrettably, rather than abate, these threats have since persisted and intensified, compelling me to place this factual and historical account before the world,” he wrote.
Ejiofor, who is currently at his ancestral home in Oraifite, Ekwusigo LGA, for the Christmas and New Year holidays, said worsening insecurity in Anambra and specific threats against him prompted him to formally request security protection from the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), also known as Udo‑ga‑Achi.
“Consequently, a number of duly constituted, bona fide AVG personnel were officially deployed to my residence.
“These personnel arrived on Tuesday in their official operational vehicle, were visibly armed in line with their mandate, and bore their official identification cards. Their presence was lawful, transparent, and entirely procedural,” he said.
He stressed that he is not known for moving around with escorts and only requested protection because it was “compellingly needful.”
However, he alleged that once certain individuals learnt of the vigilantes’ presence, “clearly unsettled by the frustration of their sinister designs,” they became “gravely disturbed.”
“Within 48 hours of the deployment,” he said, the AVG commander who posted the men to his house received repeated calls from a lawmaker (whose nam
e he withheld), after which the state AVG commander (Agunechemba) and the President‑General of the Oraifite Improvement Union joined the conversation.
“The recorded discussion centred on aggressive questioning as to why security personnel had been posted to my residence…
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“The Commander was explicitly directed to immediately withdraw the AVG personnel, failing which threats were made that a group would invade my home and forcibly disarm them,” the petition read.
Ejiofor said pleas for the operatives to remain until the end of the festive season were rejected, with the commander told that an unnamed “Oga” in Oraifite had ordered their removal.
To avoid a clash between the AVG rank and leadership, Ejiofor said he reluctantly advised the commander to withdraw his men, leaving his home “significantly more vulnerable and exposed.”
He alleged that following his public alert on social media, new efforts were made to get the police to raid his house at night, based on false claims that the AVG personnel were impostors “heavily armed with AK‑47 rifles” who were “terrorising the neighbourhood.”
“Thankfully, the Anambra State Police Command, under the leadership of the present Commissioner of Police, is not amenable to deception or manipulation,” he wrote, noting that a fact‑finding visit found his home peaceful and confirmed the vigilantes had already left.
“The officers expressed profound shock upon learning the full sequence of events,” he added, accusing the unnamed actors of pressuring the police to storm his residence despite knowing the operatives were genuine and had been withdrawn.
“In light of the foregoing, I am hereby placing the entire world, and particularly all relevant security agencies, on unequivocal notice that the persistent agitation for the withdrawal of security from my residence and the consequent withdrawal is driven by an unmistakably sinister motive,” Ejiofor warned.
“Should any untoward incident occur in my home during this festive period, there is a premeditated plan for the same actors to rush to the press and falsely portray such an attack as the handiwork of hoodlums or so‑called ‘unknown gunmen’,” he said.
“As I write this statement, let it be clearly recorded that my residence is now more vulnerable than ever. If any harm befalls me or any member of my household, these individuals should be held responsible.
“I have formally disclosed the identity of their unnamed principal; the ‘Oga’ behind this entire orchestration, to the relevant security authorities.
“Should anything happen to me, he shall be the first required to render explanations to the world. I thank all persons of goodwill for their concern and prayers. May God continue to protect us all,” the petition concluded.