IPOB lawyer, Ejiofor urges FG to confront violent campaign against Nigeria, not diverting attention

Nigerian human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on the government to decisively confront and prosecute what he described as a brutal and existential campaign of violence against the Nigerian state.

According to him, there is a need for collective courage to confront uncomfortable truths, dismantle the architecture of denial, and unequivocally call out those who, whether by action or omission, enable these heinous crimes.
He warned that without such resolve, any purported solution will remain illusory.

Ejiofor made this call in a statement titled “Hypocrisy at Its Peak: The Dangerous Diversion from Nigeria’s Real Enemies,” which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

He argued that the persistent attribution of the ongoing violence to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a misdirection and a deliberate diversion from the real enemies of the state.

“What can only be described as a desperate bid to manufacture a convenient diversion has seen attention redirected towards the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—a peaceful movement of global reach, present in over fifty countries and widely acknowledged for its non-violent posture,yet paradoxically branded among financiers of terrorism. Such rhetorical gymnastics not only strain credulity but also betray a troubling inclination towards obfuscation rather than resolution,” he said.

According to him, the very zenith of hypocrisy is reached when deliberate and calculated efforts are made to divert attention from the palpable and ongoing atrocities perpetrated by virulent jihadist elements and terrorists, including those disguising themselves as herdsmen, Boko Haram insurgents, and ISWAP militants.

He stressed that these groups have, with chilling consistency, prosecuted a brutal and existential campaign of violence against the Nigerian state.

Ejiofor noted that their onslaught is neither selective nor restrained, but rather directed against the very fabric of national stability.

He added that the violence targets not only Nigerian security institutions—which are already overstretched—but also defenceless citizens whose blood is shed daily across the North-West, North-Central, North-East, and the Middle Belt.
The human rights lawyer further stated that the unrelenting carnage, which ought to command the undivided urgency of both government and public discourse, is instead being overshadowed by what he described as a curious and disingenuous narrative.

He maintained that this pattern of misdirection and selective outrage is precisely why the hydra-headed insecurity ravaging the northern regions continues to defy meaningful resolution.

Ejiofor reiterated that until Nigerians summon the collective courage to confront uncomfortable truths, dismantle the architecture of denial, and unequivocally call out those who enable these crimes, any purported solution will remain illusory.

“Only through candour, accountability, and an unflinching commitment to truth can we hope to recalibrate our national response and reclaim the path to peace and security,” he said.