Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared the South-East “safe” for Christmas
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared the South-East “safe” for Christmas
IPOB has publicly invited Igbo people whether living in the South-East, elsewhere in Nigeria, or abroad to return home for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
They claim that their security outfit, Eastern Security Network (ESN), will provide protection during the festive period.
IPOB frames the South-East often referred to as “Alaigbo” as a historically peaceful region, deserving to attract returning indigenes and investments for development and employment.
Criminal elements are warned to stay away, and the group calls for the dismantling of what it describes as “illegal checkpoints” by federal security forces, which they say contribute to insecurity and harassment of travelers.
For many Igbos, especially those in the diaspora, Christmas is a time to reconnect with families, roots, and heritage. The call to return speaks to deep social and cultural bonds. A message of “homecoming” offers hope and reconnection.
Desire for stability and development: The South-East has long felt neglected when it comes to federal infrastructure and economic investment. Encouraging returnees and investments could help spur local development, rebuild communities, generate jobs especially for youth.
Local agency over security: By offering “self-help” through ESN, IPOB is attempting to fill gaps when state security seems weak or absent. For some communities, localised security if fair and accountable may feel more immediate and relevant than distant institutions.
Track record and credibility issues: According to a statement from the police in 2025, IPOB has been “crippled” in the South-East and reportedly “now exists in peoples’ imagination.” That raises questions about how effective or real their claim to guarantee security actually is.
Independent observers and civil society groups continue to report attacks, kidnappings, and community violence across several states in the South-East. This suggests that the region’s safety remains fragile.
Risk of ambiguous security structures: While ESN is presented as a protector, it remains a non-state militia in a region where lines between “community defense,” “vigilante,” and “armed group” are dangerously blurred. Without oversight, there is a real risk of abuses, vigilantism, or retribution under the guise of “security.”
IPOB’s call comes amid persistent grievances over marginalisation — exclusion from federal budgets, alleged discrimination, and demands for autonomy or independence. So their peace-appeal cannot be separated from broader political tensions.
If the call by IPOB is to lead to real, lasting peace and development, the following must accompany it:
1. Independent, transparent security assessment: The security situation in the South-East should be independently evaluated — by civil society, local leaders, and credible institutions — to ensure travelers’ safety, rather than uncritically relying on a non-state group.
2. Community-wide dialogue and reconciliation: Returnees, residents, local youths, and traditional leaders must engage in open conversations about security, rights, and responsibilities. This can build trust and reduce fear — whether coming from criminal banditry or over-militarisation.
3. State investment and inclusion: The government (federal and state) should respond to real grievances — marginalisation, underdevelopment, youth unemployment — by investing in infrastructure, education, economic opportunities. This helps change the structural issues that fuel unrest.
4. Rule of law and accountability: Any security initiatives state or non-state must operate under clear rules, transparency, and accountability. Vigilantism or unchecked militias shouldn’t replace formal justice or policing.
At face value, IPOB’s call for a safe, homecoming Christmas may appear nostalgic and comforting a warm invitation for Igbo people to reconnect with their roots. But beneath that lie deeper, structural challenges: legitimacy, security, governance, equity.
For many Igbos at home or abroad the decision to return should weigh not just the festive warmth, but whether the region can offer sustainable peace, dignity, and hope. Meanwhile, for the state and Nigeria as a whole, the coming months provide a real test: can lasting peace be achieved, rooted not in rhetoric or militia assurances but in justice, development, and unity?
