[JUST IN]: IPOB Declares Soludo’s Security Deployment in Onitsha a Deliberate Act to Foment Insecurity

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared that the recent deployment of military and police forces by Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo in Onitsha was a deliberate action aimed at fomenting insecurity and sabotaging what it described as Biafra’s peaceful self-determination struggle.

In a press statement dated January 27, 2026, and signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group stated that armed security operatives were unleashed on traders and protesters who were peacefully expressing opposition to the enforcement of sit-at-home directives.

IPOB stated that the use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians represents a clear violation of fundamental human rights and democratic principles, warning that such actions historically trigger violence which authorities later attribute to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The group called on Nigerians, human rights bodies, and the international community to immediately caution Governor Soludo and restrain security agencies from firing live rounds at civilians, stressing that such measures escalate, rather than resolve, insecurity.

Reaffirming its stance, IPOB stated that it remains committed to non-violence and dialogue, insisting that its objective is a peaceful and democratic referendum on self-determination. The group also reiterated its demand for the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, whom it described as unjustly held.

IPOB urged protesters across the South-East to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding, warning that any further aggression against civilians would only hasten what it described as the collapse of oppressive structures.

As of press time, the Anambra State Government and security agencies had not issued any official response.