Speaking Out Against Accusations: IPOB Denies Involvement in Okigwe Road Attack
IPOB Refutes Link to Okigwe Road Assault, Criticizes Amnesty International for Unfounded Accusations
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have refuted allegations that they were responsible for the gunmen attack that took place on Okigwe road, Imo State. Responding to accusations from Amnesty International Nigeria, IPOB has labeled the human rights group as having lost credibility.
In a statement released by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group accused Amnesty International Nigeria of being aligned with the Nigerian federal government and no longer deserving of serious consideration. Furthermore, IPOB expressed concern that a reputable human rights organization such as Amnesty International Nigeria would align itself with blackmailers against IPOB and ESN.
The revised version of the IPOB statement reads, "To our esteemed family and movement, we wish to address the State-sponsored terrorist assaults on civilians along the Okigwe-Owerri road in Imo State, which occurred on May 8, 2025.
Simultaneously, we call attention to the media manipulations that have been aimed at IPOB and ESN, particularly from Amnesty International Nigeria, for implicating these groups in those crimes.
Sadly, the Nigerian government has repeated its history of conducting terrorist attacks against its own people, aiming to coerce IPOB into submission.
Since 2021, the Nigerian State has funded numerous violent criminal acts in the South East Region, using unscrupulous media and phony rights groups to attribute those criminal assaults to IPOB and ESN to evade investigations.
Inclusion in those violent events, the Nigerian government at all levels has sponsored and linked IPOB, such as the Owerri prison escape, which lasted for over four hours without a response from security forces, despite the abundance of Nigerian security personnel present in and around the Owerri area.
We are innocent of every allegation by the Nigerian federal government and reward-seeking Amnesty International Nigeria.
We urge that international and independent investigative bodies, not the likes of Amnesty International Nigeria, be brought in to investigate all these offenses that IPOB and ESN are being accused of. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government and its violent security forces have never carried out any inquiry into the offenses before their paid agents and groups accuse IPOB.
Credit goes to their crooked practices; they blame IPOB and ESN for all their wrongdoings in an attempt to evade scrutiny since the state is involved or plays a key role in these offenses."
Further Insights
The controversial attack on Okigwe road resulted in the deaths of at least three people and extensive vehicle damage. The Nigerian police initially blamed the attack on suspected IPOB members, but Amnesty International’s report attributing the attack to IPOB has been disputed by the group’s counsel, who criticized the organization for its premature attribution and lack of thorough verification before making such claims. The controversy highlights the challenges in attributing responsibility and determining the true extent of violence in the absence of thorough investigations.
- IPOB has denied its involvement in the Okigwe road attack, labeling Amnesty International Nigeria as having lost credibility for making such accusations.
- In response to the Amnesty International Nigeria report, IPOB accused the Nigerian federal government of being aligned with Amnesty International and using them to blackmail IPOB.
- IPOB expressed concern that Amnesty International Nigeria would align itself with blackmailers against IPOB and ESN, suggesting a lack of serious consideration for the group's stance.
- The Nigerian government has been accused by IPOB of conducting terrorist attacks against its own people, aiming to coerce IPOB into submission, as in the case of the Okigwe-Owerri road attack.
- IPOB has urged the involvement of international and independent investigative bodies, not Amnesty International Nigeria, to investigate the crimes they are being accused of, as they question the credibility of the Nigerian government's own investigations.
