₦airaland Forum

REVEALED: How Reports from Group Linked to IPOB Landed Nigeria in Trouble with United States

Nigeria is once again in the spotlight on the international stage after a report by the BBC revealed that claims of mass killings of Christians in the country, which have influenced the United States’ current hard stance on Nigeria, originated from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) allegedly connected to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The reports, published by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), have been widely cited by American politicians, Christian advocacy groups, and international media. However, new evidence suggests that the figures contained in the reports may be exaggerated and, in some cases, unverifiable.


How the Controversy Began
The current diplomatic tension began when Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a senior Republican lawmaker in the United States Congress, intensified his campaign against what he called the “persecution of Christians in Nigeria.”



In a post on X (formerly Twitter) dated October 7, Cruz wrote that “since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed.”



Although Senator Cruz later clarified to the BBC that he was not calling the situation “genocide” but “persecution,” he accused Nigerian authorities of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”



Former U.S. President Donald Trump echoed Cruz’s claims, describing Nigeria as a “disgraced country” that “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” Trump’s comments quickly gained global traction, leading to growing criticism of Nigeria’s human rights record and religious freedoms.



Nigeria’s Response and the Roots of the Data

The Nigerian government has consistently rejected these accusations, insisting that it is doing its best to combat terrorism and violent extremism across the country.



Officials have also stated their willingness to cooperate with international partners, including the United States, but only within the framework of Nigeria’s sovereignty and mutual respect.



However, according to the BBC, the data used by U.S. politicians and advocacy groups can be traced to reports published by InterSociety, a Nigerian NGO that has monitored violence and human rights violations since 2010.



In its most recent report, published in August 2025, InterSociety claimed that jihadist and militant groups — including Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani herders — had killed over 100,000 Christians and 60,000 moderate Muslims since 2009.



The report also alleged that between January and August 2025 alone, over 7,000 Christians were killed in different parts of Nigeria.



Questions Over Credibility and Accuracy

When the BBC examined InterSociety’s data, it discovered several inconsistencies and contradictions. Out of the 70 media reports cited as sources for the alleged killings in 2025, many did not specify the religious identity of the victims.



For example, one Al Jazeera report quoted by InterSociety as evidence of “40 kidnapped Christian farmers” in Borno State made no mention of the victims’ religion.



More so, when the BBC added up the death tolls mentioned in all 70 reports, the total came to around 3,000 deaths, not 7,000 as InterSociety claimed.



The organisation admitted that it supplements media reports with “local knowledge, eyewitness accounts, and estimates of people who die in captivity.” However, it did not provide verifiable details of these sources.

Read More here: https://iwitnesslive.com/2025/11/06/how-reports-from-group-linked-to-ipob-landed-nigeria-in-trouble-with-united-states/

A new multi-year deal has been reached with SportyBet becoming the “Official Betting Partner” of La Liga in Africa. The partnership will kick-off with an unforgettable launch event in the continent featuring one of La Liga’s most iconic ambassadors who is an international football legend.

Our correspondent gathered that the spectacular event will set the stage for a collaboration that promises to revolutionise the betting landscape for millions of fans in the continent. SportyBet’s Vice President of Media, Marketing, and Business Development, Elías Gallego assures that “by leveraging our deep understanding of the African audience, we’re confident that together we can elevate the fan experience, fuel the passion for football, and drive unprecedented growth for La Liga and SportyBet in this vibrant region”


For instance, SportyBet’s users will have the opportunity to participate in extraordinary, once-in-a-life time experiences. The unique opportunities may include VIP stadium tours, watching player warm-ups from the sidelines, taking photos with football idols, or even stepping onto the pitch to take a penalty after a match. Meanwhile, SportyBet will also provide exclusive access to La Liga content, offering fans richer, more immersive ways to experience the league through its platform and social media channels.

For the La Liga, the collaboration will not only bring the Spanish League closer to millions of passionate football fans across Africa but also underscore the commitment to delivering world-class football experiences to diverse audiences. The partnership will also see SportyBet and La Liga collaborate on a range of promotional activities across multiple African territories, further cementing SportyBet’s influence in the region.



For many analysts, this ground breaking agreement with La Liga firmly establishes SportyBet as the leading sports betting platform in the region, marking a new chapter in its mission to deliver world-class football content to fans across the continent. It’s on record that SportyBet has been the most visited betting platform in the world in recent months, which is a testament to its cutting-edge technology, unparalleled market odds, and the security and speed of its payments.

As part of multi-year partnership, SportyBet will gain prominent exposure during La Liga match broadcasts, with advertising billboards and cam-carpets displaying the SportyBet brand around the stadiums. This will be especially noticeable during matches where Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid play are the visiting teams, marking a major leap forward for the SportyBet brand in the world of football.


While Gallego says “this partnership represents a powerful alignment between SportyBet’s leadership in the African market and La Liga’s immense potential to grow its footprint across the continent, the Executive General Manager of La Liga, Jorgedela Vega is confident that “partnering with SportyBet is an exciting milestone for La Liga as we continue to expand our global footprint, particularly in Africa”.

Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church aka Winners’ Chapel has come under criticism again after a video showing how some hijab-wearing Muslim candidates who were to write the mock test of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination were reportedly denied entry for some time at Covenant University in Canaanland.

Oyedepo trended throughout the weekend following the leakage of a telephone conversation he had with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi in which the politician solicited for the support of the clergy and called the polls a ‘religious war’.

Covenant University, which is owned by Oyedepo, is one of the designated centres for the mock examination organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and in the video a voice of a man was heard saying “This is Mr. Olayode Akeem who brought a child for mock examination at covenant university. I was surprised he came here this morning. And all the children with hijab, they are being denied to enter and to write the examination.

Continue reading here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/04/03/oyedepo-under-fire-again-after-covenant-university-delayed-muslim-candidates-in-hijab-from-taking-mock-jamb/][Oyedepo under fire again after Covenant University delayed Muslim candidates in hijab from taking mock JAMB]




“These are the candidates with hijab who are being denied to write the examination. And these are the security men who said they should not… they are acting on the instruction given to them by their head.”

Some female candidates wearing the hijab are seen standing close to the entrance in the video.

The United Kingdom has said the growth in Lagos will be retarded if non-indigenes are not seen as Lagosians, insisting that ethnic profiling should not be accepted in any part of the country.



Non-indigenes especially the Igbos complained about attacks on them by some political thugs suspected to be Yorubas during the last Governorship elections in Lagos.



The attacks were fueled by the belief of some non-indigenes who claim that Lagos is ‘no-man’s land’.



However, British Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, in an interview with Nigeria Info FM, said the strength and beauty of Lagos are in its blend of culture and religion and should be recognised as a cosmopolitan city, and condemned the ethnic profiling of a particular ethnic group before and during the just-concluded governorship and state assembly elections.





“If you live in London, you are a Londoner, a British-Pakistan is a Londoner. The British Prime Minister lives in London. My boss, the British foreign secretary is clearly British-Sierra Leonean and lives in London, they are Londoners.



“Why is it that people who pay taxes, who work, who provide teachers, who built businesses, who create jobs, who live in Lagos, who happen to be from a different ethnicity to some other people are not Lagosians?



‘’Of course, they are. The strength of Lagos is its diversity, and if Lagos can’t be that kind of cosmopolitan melting pot of culture and language and all the things it should be, then really how is Lagos going to succeed?



“People chanting anti-Igbo messages and walking on the streets by polling units on elections day are totally unacceptable. Not just in Lagos, but also in Enugu and Rivers where we had our teams as well and many other places.



Read more here:[https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/27/igbos-living-in-lagos-are-lagosians-united-kingdom-insists/][Igbos living in Lagos are Lagosians, United Kingdom insists]

The 2023 presidential election in Nigeria threw up some surprises with the candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi winning a whopping 12 states in the exercise same number as his more illustrious opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and the eventual winner Bola Tinubu who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to win the 2023 presidential election while Atiku trailed with a total of 6,984,520 votes. But Obi’s total of 6,101,533 votes in 12 states remains a huge surprise.

Labour Party entered the race without any political offices but ended the contest with six Senators-elect and 34 House of Representatives members-elect and there were strong indications the party could nick a few Governorship seats after last Saturday’s exercise.

Obi won in Edo, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, FCT, Plateau, Imo, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Abia and Enugu states and there were feelings the Labour Party candidates in the governorship and house of assembly could benefit greatly from the success of the party at the presidential polls.

It was believed that the party particularly had strong chances in Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Lagos and clear the seats in the Imo State Assembly but as of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to officially win any state.

Peter Obi won 341,886 votes in Delta State in the presidential election but the Obidients Movement abandoned the party candidate Kennedy Pela who came a distant third with paltry 48,047 votes in the governorship election won by Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP who 360,234.

Read more here:[https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/21/how-obidients-movement-abandoned-labour-party-in-guber-house-of-assembly-elections/][How Obidients movement abandoned Labour Party in guber, house of assembly elections]

A video of a Nigerian man in the diaspora tearing up his international passport over the outcome of the 2023 general elections in the country has gone viral.

In the video shared by GidiTraffic on Twitter, the man was seen saying the outcome of the 2023 elections showed Nigeria’s situation is irredeemable and he would have nothing to do with the country again.

To prove his point, he was seen destroying his international passport.

See the video here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/20/see-video-of-nigerian-in-diaspora-destroying-passport-over-elections/][See video of Nigerian in diaspora destroying passport over elections]

Election of deaths: Rivers, Benue lead as 27 people die during 2023 gubernatorial polls


The 2023 governorship and state assembly elections will go down as one of the most brutal with violence since the advent of the Fourth Republic as no fewer than 27 people died during the polls, Iwitensslive checks revealed.

Governorship elections were held in 28 states as eight other states fall within the off-season cycle but state house of assembly polls took place in all 36 states of the federation.

Violence characterised the process in almost all the states but fatalities were recorded in 10 states including Lagos, Rivers, Benue, and Akwa Ibom.

There were cases of intense violence in Ondo where a cop was shot, Imo where some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission were abducted but later rescued by the security forces.

There are cases of shootings in Osun, Ogun, Kano, Oyo, Enugu, Taraba and Bayelsa.

One person died in each state of Kebbi, Ebonyi, Cross River, Katsina and Niger. Two fatalities were recorded in Akwa Ibom State just as three persons were reportedly killed in Lagos State.

Five persons have so been killed in the election that took place in Delta State on Saturday.

Rivers and Benue States accounted for most of the casualties recorded in the elections. The states recorded six deaths each in the post that recorded the brutal way.

[https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/20/election-of-deaths-rivers-benue-lead-as-27-people-die-during-2023-gubernatorial-polls/][Election of deaths: Rivers, Benue lead as 27 people die during 2023 gubernatorial polls]

A former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, opened a can of worms when he claimed that the person that nominated the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Mahmood Yakubu for reappointment belonged to the camp of the President-elect Bola Tinubu.

The INEC Chairman has come under criticism since the last presidential election as opposition parties including the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party accused the commission of aiding Tinubu to victory.

Amaechi is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and even contested against Tinubu in the party primaries last year’s June but has since gone off the radar.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/18/inec-chairman-was-nominated-by-tinubus-camp-rotimi-amaechi-video/][INEC Chairman was nominated by Tinubu’s camp- Rotimi Amaechi (Video)]

The Federal Government has taken a huge step in the journey to true federalism after President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the constitutional amendment allowing states in the country to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity.

The power sector had been groaning under the yoke of the disturbing legal framework that allowed electricity to be in the exclusive list in the Nigerian Constitution with states willing to invest in the sector unable to do so because their hands are tied by the law

However, a presidential media spokesperson, Tolu Ogunlesi, on Friday said in a tweet that Buhari has signed 16 Constitution Amendment Bills into Law including the one on electricity and railway.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/17/hurray-states-can-now-generate-transmit-electricity-develop-railway-as-buhari-signs-bills/][Hurray! States can now generate, transmit electricity, develop railway as Buhari signs bills]

OLUSESAN OBA writes that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party faces an intense battle to retain power in Delta State as the main opposition All Progressives Congress and Labour Party are giving the PDP a run for its money as the electorate decides the fate of the candidates of the three parties in the March 18, 2023 governorship elections.

Since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party has utterly dominated the political space in Delta State but the PDP faces its biggest threat ever as the governorship elections take centre stage on March 18 across the country.

James Ibori, the first man to become Governor in the state on the platform of the PDP, blew away opposition to clinch the job in 1999 and worked even less to retain the seat in 2003.

His friend and associate Emmanuel Uduaghan took over from him in 2007 and his reelection in 2011 faced little opposition and the party had less job to do when the incumbent Governor Patrick Okowa took over in 2015 and also had a smooth sail in 2019 to seal his reelection.

However, the dynamism of politics in Delta State paints a delicate future for PDP with the growing influence of the All Progressives Congress and the spontaneous popularity of the Labour Party backed by the Obidients Movement linked to the presidential candidate of LP Peter Obi, changing the political landscape of the state.

The candidate of the APC, Senator Ovie Omo Agege who is the incumbent deputy senate president, is a formidable force in Delta politics while the flag bearer of the Labour Party Deacon Ken Pela is breathing down the necks of the two bigger parties.

The flag bearer of the PDP in the March 18 polls, Sherrif Oborevwori, could have wished to have emerged as the party’s candidate at a time of his party’s total domination than at a period when one of the opposition parties could potentially sweep the ruling party out of power.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/15/how-apc-can-sweep-pdp-out-of-power-in-delta/][How APC can sweep PDP out of power in Delta]

The ambitions of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State to become the President of the 10th Senate has torn the southeast apart.

There is a strong indication that the Senate Presidency would be zoned to the Southeast as the National Assembly members elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress meet with the party’s leadership and President-elect Bola Tinubu today to decide on the composition of the leadership of the next assembly.

Orji Kalu, the current Chief Whip of the Senate, and Governor Umahi are two of the candidates from the South East gunning for the top job in the Red Chamber and their ambitions have pitched elements from the region against each other.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Sunday backed Umahi as Senate president in the 10th National Assembly but Iwitnesslive learnt that many of the members of the Igos’ apex socio-political group were not in agreement with the position of the leadership of the group.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/13/senate-presidency-kalu-umahi-tear-southeast-apart-as-apc-decides-on-zoning-today/][Senate Presidency: Kalu, Umahi tear Southeast apart as APC decides on zoning today]

The Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress Abdullahi Adamu may quit his position today as the party meets with the National Assembly members elected on its platform at the last elections.

The meeting is scheduled to hold at the State House, Abuja today would also have the president-elect Bola Tinubu in attendance.

It is believed that the meeting was called to zone the leadership of the 10th National Assembly but the future of the party’s chairman may also become clearer after the engagements.

Adamu who was supported to become the chairman of the party by President Muhammadu Buhari may be paving the way for the emergence of a Christian successor.

The party came under intense criticism for presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the last presidential elections and still retained a chairman that practices the same faith.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/13/adamu-may-resign-as-apc-chairman-today-as-ruling-party-plots-muslim-senate-president/][Adamu may resign as APC chairman today as ruling party plots Muslim Senate president]

The ruling All Progressives Congress could suffer from implosion over the leadership of the National Assembly especially that of the Senate as two regions Northwest and South-east are frantically fighting for headship of the Red Chamber.

With President-elect Bola Tinubu and Vice president-elect Kashim Shettima coming from the Southwest and Northeast respectively South-East and North-West are the two main regions agitating for the Senate Presidency.

Northwest is banking on its contribution to the success of the APC in the presidential election to seal the position.

Elements from the region are arguing that the zone contributes more than 30 per cent to the success of APC in the February 25 polls and should be considered above the Southeast region that gave the ruling party less than 10 per cent of the votes.

The zone is rallying behind Senator Jibrin Barau from Kano who has been lobbying his colleagues since the end of the polls.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/12/crisis-brews-in-apc-over-senate-presidency-as-seast-north-west-battle-for-post/][Crisis brews in APC over Senate Presidency as S’East, North-west battle for post]

The 2023 presidential elections may have come and gone with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress Bola Tinubu emerging as the winner but facts have emerged about how the APC flag bearer plotted his victory months before even his party’s primaries by engineering a division within the ranks of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the intelligence report available to Tinubu showed that the PDP would likely present a Muslim candidate from the North knowing full well, he, a Southerner, could become the flag bearer of the APC given the rotation agreement within his party.

He also considered Atiku as the most likely individual to be considered by the PDP for the presidential ticket and the former vice president has a strong political structure to snatch the northern votes hitherto controlled by President Muhammadu Buhari. The preliminary political assessment Tinubu made also revealed that the PDP would still retain its stronghold in the south should it maintain the 2019 ticket that had Atiku and Peter Obi.

Read more here: [https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/11/how-tinubu-used-activist-to-lure-peter-obi-out-of-pdp-to-weaken-opposition-party/][How Tinubu used activist to lure Peter Obi out of PDP to weaken opposition party]

The President-elect Bola Tinubu has taken over the processes that will lead to the reelection of Governor Babajide Sanwoolu as the Governor of Lagos State as the ruling All Progressives Congress gets set for the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial elections.

Fears had gripped the camp of the APC in Lagos State after the Labour Party trounced the ruling party in the presidential election on February 25, 2023.

Our correspondent learnt that the APC’s poor outing in the presidential poll was linked to apathy, especially among party members who felt disenchanted about the attitude of some of their leaders.

However, our correspondent learnt that Tinubu, the godfather of Lagos politics, had taken over the wheels of the campaign for the reelection of Sanwoolu.

Sources within the party reliably informed our correspondent that money had been released to each local government and local council development areas for mobilisations of members.

Tinubu also gave instruction that members at each ward across the state must be mobilized to work for the party ahead of the governorship elections.
Read more here:[https://iwitnesslive.com/2023/03/11/tinubu-takes-over-sanwoolus-campaign-disburses-millions-to-lgas-wards-to-mobilisation-apc-members/][Tinubu Takes Over Sanwoolu’s Campaign, Disburses Millions To LGAs, Wards]