IPOB Lawyer Calls for Organized Self-Defense Amid Ongoing Violence in Benue, Plateau States

By Mary Obi

Human rights activist and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) , Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged indigenous communities in Benue and Plateau States to take lawful measures of self-defense against the escalating violence perpetrated by suspected armed herdsmen.

Reacting to what he termed a “blood harvest” in the lead-up to Easter 2025, Ejiofor expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to address the ongoing violence, emphasizing the need for communities to protect themselves.

“In the days leading up to Easter, and with chilling audacity on its eve, our nation has suffered a devastating surge of coordinated attacks across Benue and Plateau States. Dozens of innocent lives have been cruelly taken by terrorist herdsmen in what has tragically become a recurrent national crisis,” he lamented.

Ejiofor criticized Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for his contradictory stance on federal intervention. He stated, “In an all-too-familiar pattern, the Governor of Benue State, a member of the ruling APC, addressed the media, praising the Federal Government for its support in combating these marauders. Paradoxically, he followed this commendation with a plea for further federal aid, an inconsistency that highlights the severity of the crisis and the ineffectiveness of the response.”

The activist also dismissed the Minister of Defence’s directive to pursue the attackers as futile. “While the Honourable Minister of Defence announced a presidential directive for security forces to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for these atrocities, the bloodshed continues unabated, with no significant action being taken on the ground,” Ejiofor noted.

He called on communities to mobilize for their own protection, stating, “Given this grim reality, it is evident that indigenous communities can no longer rely on a system that has consistently let them down. I urge our people to urgently and lawfully unite in defense of their ancestral lands and heritage, within the legal frameworks permitted by law. The sustained agenda of annihilation by these terror groups demands an unwavering communal commitment to survival.”

In closing, Ejiofor stressed the importance of action, declaring, “History will not forgive a people who, confronted with an existential threat, choose silence or inaction.”