The Indigenous Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has urged Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to redirect military efforts in the South-East towards combating killer herdsmen rather than targeting members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Responding to recent remarks by the CDS cautioning the public against supporting IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, the women’s group accused the federal government of ignoring violent herders while unjustly persecuting peaceful agitators. Represented by its National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, IWA asserted that IPOB is a non-violent movement demanding redress for decades of marginalisation in Nigeria’s political and security spheres.
In a strongly worded statement, the group criticized what it called “double standards” by the government—alleging that armed herdsmen are allowed to roam freely while peaceful protesters are detained or killed. They highlighted long-standing grievances, including a lack of political representation, unequal promotion in security services, and systemic exclusion of Igbos since the end of the civil war.
The group blamed military operations such as “Python Dance” for introducing violence to the South-East, which they said was peaceful prior to the heavy military presence. They also decried continued youth migration from the region, blaming intimidation by security forces and alleged plans to render the region defenseless.
IWA called for the dismantling of extortion-prone military checkpoints and urged a sincere federal dialogue with IPOB, stating that true peace would only return if the government addressed the root causes of agitation and took decisive action against violent herdsmen terrorizing rural communities.
