“Send Soldiers After Killer Herdsmen, Not IPOB” — Igbo Women Fire Back At Defense Chief

The Indigenous Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has issued a scathing response to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, urging him to redirect military efforts from crushing Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members to confronting the real threats in the South East — armed herdsmen who are terrorizing rural communities.

Reacting to the CDS’s recent remarks advising against support for IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, particularly via social media, the women called out what they described as a pattern of government double standards and selective justice.

“If General Musa is truly interested in restoring peace in the South East, he should send his men into the bushes to face the killer herdsmen — not chase down IPOB youths protesting marginalisation,” IWA National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, declared in a statement made available to journalists in Umuahia on Sunday.

The CDS, through a representative, Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar, had warned that IPOB activities were undermining national unity. But the IWA pushed back, asserting that IPOB is not a terrorist group but “our children” demanding fair treatment in a country that has long excluded the South East from power and influence.

“Since the civil war, no Igbo man has led this country. Our people are underrepresented in political and military appointments, and our youths no longer have faith in national institutions like the army and police,” the group said.

The women further questioned why IPOB members are being detained or killed during peaceful protests, while known bandits and violent herdsmen in other regions are granted amnesty or even reintegrated into society.

“Why is the federal government killing our youths and labelling IPOB terrorists while treating armed bandits with kid gloves? These herdsmen carry AK-47s and roam freely, yet no meaningful military operation has been launched against them,” the statement read.

IWA blamed the federal government’s aggressive military presence in the South East, particularly since the controversial “Python Dance” operations, for fueling unrest and mistrust in the region. They cited the abduction of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu as a major trigger of tension.

“Before the military invasion, the South East was the most peaceful zone in Nigeria. Everything changed after the government turned its guns on IPOB,” they said.

The women condemned the alleged profiling and harassment of Igbo youths at security checkpoints and raised concerns about what they described as a deliberate plan to displace local populations through fear, violence, and intimidation.

They also sounded the alarm over the growing presence of “strange faces” in South East communities, accusing the federal government of ignoring the infiltration of foreign elements who “survey our land under the guise of menial labor” while armed.

IWA demanded the immediate dismantling of military roadblocks, which they claim have become “extortion and oppression points,” and called for genuine dialogue with IPOB to resolve the long-standing grievances of the region.

“This is not just about IPOB. This is about justice, safety, and the future of our children. If the government is serious about peace, it must stop the propaganda and start listening,” the statement concluded.