By Karen James
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged that enemies of the Igbo people are using his continued detention to carry out attacks on communities in the Southeast. He claimed that such assaults would not have occurred if he were free.
Kanu made these remarks during a routine meeting with his legal team, led by senior counsel Aloy Ejimakor. According to a statement Ejimakor shared on X (formerly Twitter), Kanu was reacting to reports from residents of Amegu Nkalaha community in Ebonyi State, who accused the Nigerian military and police of complicity in a recent attack by suspected armed herdsmen.
Community members claimed they were warned not to leave their village on Saturday, only for assailants to strike the following day. They also alleged that security forces failed to intervene and later returned to seize their phones, preventing them from documenting the destruction. The attack reportedly left 16 people dead and 25 homes completely burned.
In his statement, Ejimakor quoted Kanu as saying:
“Enemies of the Igbo race have taken advantage of my illegal detention to unleash coordinated attacks on defenseless villagers. Had I been a free man, no entity would have dared carry out such an audacious attack against peaceful farming communities in Igbo land.”
Kanu also referenced an Igbo proverb: “Gbuo dike, gbuo dike, ihe ike ruo, achowa dike”—which roughly translates to, “When the strong man is killed, the people will search for another in times of trouble.”
His remarks have reignited concerns over rising insecurity in the Southeast and renewed calls for his release, as IPOB supporters insist that his continued detention exacerbates the region’s vulnerability to attacks.
Despite repeated calls from his legal team and supporters for his freedom, the Nigerian government has continued to hold Kanu, citing national security concerns.
