Mathew Amaechi
In a passionate call for security reforms and immediate military intervention in Nigeria’s South East, the Indigenous Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has urged the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, to redirect his efforts toward neutralizing alleged killer herdsmen.
The IWA’s statement, released following comments from CDS spokesperson Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar in Anambra State, outlines a plea to address escalating violence that the women claim is endangering the lives and dignity of local communities.
The Igbo women’s message was unequivocal: they contended that if the South East were ever to regain peace, then government troops must be deployed not just against insurgent groups, but also against the Fulani herdsmen implicated in “killing farmers and raping women and girls.”
According to IWA National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, the turmoil in the region is compounded by a double standard. “If the CDS truly loves the restoration of peace in the South East, then he must advise the federal government to listen to the legitimate grievances of our youths and engage in sincere dialogue. It is not IPOB that is our problem – it’s the rampaging herdsmen causing mayhem in our communities,” she stressed.
The women’s appeal comes on the heels of a recent engagement where Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar warned against the spread of unverified information supporting the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.
Bukar’s comments painted IPOB’s activities as a threat to national unity and peace. However, the IWA sharply rebutted this designation, arguing that IPOB is a peaceful movement protesting the marginalisation of the South East—a sentiment they feel has been long ignored by successive Nigerian governments.
Chimezie reiterated that IPOB members are not terrorists, but rather “our children protesting the ill-treatment and exclusion” that has characterized the post-Civil War era in Nigeria. She lamented the ongoing political and economic marginalization, highlighting the fact that no Igbo man has occupied Nigeria’s highest office since 1966, and that Igbo youths are increasingly disenchanted with enlistment in the military due to consistently delayed promotions and perceived systemic injustices.
The statement by IWA expressed deep concern over what it described as selective enforcement of the law. The women demanded accountability from the federal government, questioning why amnesty is often granted to armed bandits and mass murderers while peaceful demonstrators are met with forceful crackdowns. “Why do we see our youths being killed in peaceful protests while herdsmen, roaming with AK-47s, continue their killing sprees with impunity?” the assembly asked.
They argued that the escalated militarization following operations like Python Dance has not yielded the promised security improvements—instead, it has contributed to a climate of fear and political disenfranchisement.
The Igbo women also expressed alarm over what they described as the uncontrolled influx of outsiders into the region. They warned of “strange faces” and jobless wanderers, who they suspect might be exacerbating tensions under the guise of employment or land surveying.
Moreover, they criticized the current security apparatus for establishing extortion-prone roadblocks that not only hamper daily life but also serve as a distraction from the real source of violence.
As tensions continue to simmer, the IWA’s demand for a re-prioritisation of military intervention raises a broader question about Nigeria’s security and political policies. While the government maintains that its hardline stance on IPOB and other groups is necessary for national unity, voices from the South East are making it clear that, without addressing the threat posed by armed herdsmen, peace in the region remains a distant ideal.
In urging General Musa to act decisively, the Indigenous Igbo Women Assembly isn’t merely criticising current security strategies—they are demanding recognition of the underlying grievances and systemic neglect that have fueled decades of unrest. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether these calls for reform and genuine dialogue will reshape policy, or if the cycle of marginalisation and violence will persist.
