₦airaland Forum

Lawyer, activist and influencer, Deji Adeyanju, has taken Femi Fani-Kayode, Joe Igbokwe and media aid to Wike, Lere Olayinka, to the cleaners.


When I see some people still doing what they use to do some years back and refusing to grow up, I just laugh. That is why I pity the likes of Lere Olayinka, Joe lgbokwe, FFK and co. They have given up on life and themselves. Perpetual errand boys even in old age. Old data boys. May you grow up in 2026 and not remain on the same spot.

If Nigerian Constitution allowed for independent candidate as they have in America and UK, Obi wouldn't even need a party in other to run.

The rate of defection in Nigeria has made political parties redundant.

A review of the recently approved Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) of the Nigerian government for the 2026–2028 period by SaharaReporters shows that a total of N54.7 trillion is projected to be borrowed across the three fiscal years. This means that a cumulative sum of N54.7 trillion is planned as new borrowings in 2026, 2027, and 2028.

According to the MTEF document, new borrowings for 2026 are estimated at N17.8 trillion. Borrowings for 2027 are projected at N21.1 trillion, while N15.8 trillion is planned for 2028.

A breakdown of the figures shows that in 2026, domestic borrowings are expected to amount to N14.3 trillion, while international borrowings are estimated at N3.5 trillion.

In 2027, domestic borrowings are projected to rise to N16.9 trillion, with international borrowings planned at N4.2 trillion.

Further review indicates that in 2028, domestic borrowings are estimated at N12.6 trillion, while international borrowings are expected to total N3.1 trillion.

A previous review of Debt Management Office (DMO) data by SaharaReporters showed that Nigeria’s public debt rose to N149.3 trillion as of March 31, 2025.

This represents an increase from the N144.6 trillion recorded as of December 2024.

According to the data, domestic debt increased by N4.4 trillion between December 2024 and March 2025, rising from N74.3 trillion in December 2024 to N78.7 trillion as of March 2025.

Meanwhile, external debt grew by N350 billion, increasing from N70.28 trillion in December 2024 to N70.63 trillion as of March 2025.

Nigeria’s debt profile has continued on an upward trajectory. While total public debt stood at N144 trillion in December 2024, it had earlier been recorded at N142 trillion as of September 2024.

During that same period, external debt amounted to N68.8 trillion, while domestic debt stood at N73.4 trillion.

The data also showed that as of September 2024, the federal government alone owed N69.2 trillion in domestic debt, while states and the Federal Capital Territory accounted for N4.2 trillion.

These figures suggest that Nigeria has continued to rely heavily on domestic sources to finance its loan portfolio.

The published total debt profile is also significantly higher than the N134.2 trillion Nigeria owed as of June 2024.

As of June 2024, total external debt stood at N63 trillion, while domestic debt amounted to N71.2 trillion.

Out of this total, the federal government’s domestic debt was N66.9 trillion, while state governments accounted for N4.2 trillion.


https://saharareporters.com/2025/12/22/nigeria-set-borrow-n547trillion-three-years

Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has issued a renewed warning to the government following the killing of two residents in Igboho town, Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, allegedly by suspected Fulani assailants.

In a statement on Saturday, Igboho said the latest attack validates the concerns he has raised repeatedly over the past four years regarding what he described as persistent killings and violent attacks on Yoruba communities by armed Fulani elements.

He lamented that despite several public appeals and warnings to authorities, the situation has continued to deteriorate, forcing many indigenous residents to flee their ancestral homes out of fear for their lives.

“Today, two innocent people have been killed in Igboho. This is exactly what I have been warning the government about for years,” Igboho stated. “Nothing has changed, and our people continue to suffer attacks while those responsible roam freely.”

Igboho accused the government of failing to adequately protect lives and property in the region, stressing that insecurity has become a daily reality for residents of Igboho and surrounding communities.

He called on both the federal and Oyo State governments to take urgent and decisive action to address the killings and restore peace to the area.

According to him, if immediate steps are not taken to safeguard the people and their properties, he would have no choice but to return home to personally defend his community.

“I am calling on the government to act now and protect the lives and properties of the people of Igboho,” he warned. “If nothing is done, I will come back home to defend my people.”

The incident has heightened tensions in Oke-Ogun, with residents calling for increased security presence and swift justice for the victim.


https://koikimediainternationalnews.com/igboho-to-gov-protect-our-people-or-i-will-return-to-take-action-after-fulani-attack-kills-two-in-igboho/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOzzBNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR48OoLi2VIDmtwwqq_aLknbBvwGFCRep0TIovVrWi27bacuEuBHgFdECpdSrw_aem_it4oDrc7HZPdO1iD8tmrDg

To the countless unnamed Igbo civilians whose lives were lost in protests, raids, disappearances, “Python Dance” operations, false-flag killings, political assassinations, and unlawful detentions, this article honours your memory.

THE BIRTH OF IPOB, A PEACEFUL MOVEMENT ROOTED IN HISTORICAL GRIEVANCE

IPOB did not begin as a militant enterprise. It did not start as a radical movement. It was not conceived as an armed rebellion. It began as a peaceful civil rights movement built around mourning Igbo victims of the 1966 pogroms, remembering the 3 million lost in the Biafra genocide, demanding justice, equality, and fair treatment, insisting on the right to self-determination, seeking protection from persecution, educating new generations about forgotten history

Formed officially in 2012–2013 under Nnamdi Kanu’s leadership, IPOB grew through, Radio Biafra broadcasts, peaceful marches, rallies in major Igbo cities, diaspora activism, symbolic demonstrations and online mobilization

Between 2013 and 2015, IPOB was arguably the most peaceful mass movement in Nigeria, never armed, never violent, never destructive. Nnamdi Kanu framed IPOB not as a secessionist militia, but as “A peaceful people asking for a referendum — nothing more.”

Yet every peaceful march was met with disproportionate force from the state. By 2015, the Nigerian government, led by Muhammadu Buhari, shifted from viewing IPOB as activists to viewing them as a political threat. The stage was set for confrontation.

THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDS — PROTESTS MET WITH BULLETS

Between 2015 and 2016, peaceful IPOB protesters flooded streets across the Southeast:

Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, Nnewi, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Asaba. These were unarmed demonstrations, crowds waving Biafra flags, oung people draped in symbolic colours, women singing freedom songs, elderly men recalling the war years, families rallying for self-determination.

Nigeria responded with live ammunition.

Amnesty International documented protester massacres in Onitsha (2015, 2016), mass arrests in Aba, disappearances in Enugu, targeted shootings in Port Harcourt, torture and extrajudicial executions, public dumping of corpses in borrow pits

By mid-2016, IPOB had suffered over 170 deaths, before ever lifting a stone. Instead of defusing tension, the federal government escalated force.The psychology of the Igbo youth changed forever. A peaceful movement felt cornered. A historical trauma reawakened.

FROM HOPE TO HOSTILITY — THE ESCALATION OF TENSIONS

As IPOB’s popularity increased, so did the paranoia within Nigeria’s political establishment. Southeast governors feared losing influence. Federal security agencies feared a repeat of Boko Haram intelligence failures. Northern political elites feared Igbo political awakening. Western media feared a new secession crisis.

The state began framing IPOB as “violent”, “dangerous”, “extremist”, “a terrorist waiting to explode”

Yet IPOB had no record of attacks, killings, bombings and armed conflict.The fear was political, not factual.

By 2016, a dangerous alliance formed, Southeast governors, Buhari’s government, military elites. Their shared objective:

Stop IPOB before it grows beyond control. This fear would soon lead to the most brutal military operation in the region since the civil war.

THE PYTHON DANCES — MILITARISING THE SOUTH-EAST

Between 2016 and 2018, Nigeria launched three consecutive military operations in the Southeast, Operation Python Dance I (2016), Introduced checkpoints, patrols, intimidation, and the beginning of militarisation, Operation Python Dance II (2017) which featured, raids, house-to-house searche, deadly shootings, occupation of cities, psychological warfare, mass arrests

Operation Python Dance III (2018)

The most intense extended into rural areas, targeting IPOB strongholds. Amnesty International reported secret detentions, torture, killings, unmarked graves, the execution of activists without trial. Python Dance was not a security operation, It was a message, warning and punishment.

A declaration that dissent in Igboland would be met with overwhelming force. It marked the moment Nigeria chose war logic over political logic. And it pushed IPOB into a corner from which it would never fully emerge peacefully.

THE AFARA-UKWU INVASION, THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED

Nothing radicalised the Southeast as deeply, as painfully, and as irreversibly as the invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s home in Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia, on September 14, 2017. It was not just a raid, it was a military siege.

Witness accounts describe armoured tanks rolling into a residential neighbourhood, Helicopters hovering above the palace, hundreds of soldiers surrounding every exit route, gunshots lasting hours, youth protesters mowed down, unarmed boys shot while chanting, bodies piled into military trucks, fresh graves dug in surrounding bushes. Kanu’s dog Caesar was shot dead. Kanu’s parents traumatised — both later died from shock. Nigeria claimed it was a “routine operation, but the world saw a political assassination attempt. IPOB remained unarmed and resisted only with their voices.

Yet the Nigerian Army deployed an offensive force large enough for a foreign invasion. Kanu narrowly escaped death, an escape that would shape the next seven years of conflict. The invasion was the point of no return. It birthed bitterness, rage, the erosion of faith in Nigerian unity, the acceleration of IPOB radicalisation and the transformation of Kanu into a martyr-like figure. The Afara-Ukwu attack became the Igbo 9/11 — an event whose emotional aftershocks still reverberate today.

THE PROSCRIPTION — WHEN DEMOCRACY BECAME DICTATORSHIP

Immediately after the Afara-Ukwu invasion, Southeast governors, under pressure and intimidation, convened an emergency meeting. In an act that history will judge harshly, they declared IPOB a terrorist organisation without investigation, evidence, court order or due process. On the same day, Fulani militias were killing villagers in Plateau, Boko Haram was bombing mosques in Borno, bandits were taking over Zamfara, kidnapping syndicates were thriving in Kaduna. None of these were proscribed. Only IPOB, a non-violent movement, was singled out.

The Nigerian Army then released a shameful list of “evidence”:

“They blocked roads, they use sticks and stones, they shout slogans, they criticize the government, they have a radio station”

Not one bomb, not one gun, not one attack, not one violent act.

Yet IPOB was labeled a terrorist group.

The consequences were severe. Young boys were arrested on sight, anyone with a Biafra wristband was detained, fathers disappeared, mothers wept at police stations, bodies appeared in shallow graves.Fear became a permanent guest in Igbo homes. The proscription outlawed peaceful agitation and when you block peaceful resistance, you open the door to desperate resistance.

THE RADICALISATION, A MOVEMENT PUSHED UNDERGROUND

With IPOB banned and hunted, a predictable psychological shift occurred. When peaceful options close, underground options open. Thousands of youths who once marched openly now operated secretly, avoided checkpoints, used aliases, communicated via encrypted channels, attended night meetings, distrusted politicians and police.Communities began hiding activists.Villagers formed secret protective circles.Mothers smuggled food to fleeing boys and fathers taught their sons how to avoid raids. The Southeast gradually transformed into a region under occupation.

The radicalisation was not ideological, it was reactive. The state had forced the movement from the streets into the shadows.The seeds of future armed resistance were planted during this period.

RISE OF ESN, COMMUNITY DEFENSE OR FEDERAL NIGHTMARE?

By late 2020, herdsmen attacks were escalating across Igboland. Communities in Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Abia and Imo, began experiencing kidnappings, farmland destruction, rape, killings, and cattle-driven intimidation.Southeast governors did nothing. Appeals fell on deaf ears, Police ignored reports and villagers felt abandoned. Into this vacuum stepped IPOB.

In December 2020, Nnamdi Kanu announced the creation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), regional, forest-based volunteer force to protect farmlands, repel invaders, secure rural communitiesand defend vulnerable villages. Initially, ESN enjoyed massive public support. It was the first time in decades that Igbo people felt defended. But to the Nigerian state, ESN was interpreted as a militia threat.The federal government made a grave mistake. Instead of engaging ESN diplomatically, it declared war on them. This was the beginning of full-blown confrontation.

ORLU BOMBARDMENT, A REGION UNDER SIEGE

In January 2021, federal forces deployed fighter helicopters, armoured tanks, artillery vehicles, special forces, surveillance drones into Orlu, Imo State. Why? Because ESN operatives were reportedly present in the surrounding forests.

The Nigerian government launched a military operation inside a civilian town, effectively treating Orlu like Sambisa Forest.Eyewitness testimonies and media reports confirm villages were shelled, houses burned, civilians killed, young men disappeared, residents fled into the bush, corpses lay on street corners and humanitarian access was blocked.

The military siege lasted days. Imo State government denied everything, but videos and satellite images exposed the truth. The Orlu bombardment became the final straw for many youths, the proof that the Nigerian state saw the Igbo as enemies. The war had effectively begun, not because IPOB sought it, but because Nigeria ignited it.

COLLAPSE OF ORDER, THE RISE OF UNKNOWN GUNMEN (2021–2023)

The rise of “Unknown Gunmen” (UGM) in the Southeast was not spontaneous, it was engineered by a perfect storm of five converging forces:

1. Criminal syndicates exploiting the chaos

2. State-sponsored false-flag operations

3. Political hit squads hiding under IPOB’s name

4. Radicalised ESN splinter cells

5. Followers of Simon Ekpa enforcing sit-at-home orders violently

These forces were independent, uncoordinated, and often antagonistic — yet in the media they were carelessly bundled together as “IPOB gunmen.”

In reality, IPOB as an organisation lost control of the narrative, the streets, and the factions.

1. The Collapse of Policing After EndSARS after 2020,Police morale collapsed, checkpoints disappeared, officers deserted rural communities, criminals filled the vacuum, kidnap-for-ransom surged.

This vacuum created the perfect environment for impostors and opportunists.The state, rather than rebuilding trust, chose large-scale repression, and hhis worsened the vacuum.


2. Retaliatory Violence from ESN Cells

Some ESN operatives, especially in forest belts, retaliated against security forces after the Orlu bombardment (2021), Aba/Ohafia raids, Imo mass arrests, extrajudicial executions, torture in military detention and disappearances of activists. These were not IPOB policies, they were reactions by individuals pushed beyond breaking point.

3. Criminal Gangs Wearing the IPOB Identity

By late 2021, criminals discovered three powerful tools: Wear black, carry a rifle, claim to be “ESN”. Once they did that, civilians obeyed out of fear and victims didn’t resist. The media blamed IPOB, police avoided confrontation, government used it as propaganda and confusion deepened. Kidnappers, cultists, armed robbers, and drug-trafficking networks took advantage.

4. State-Sponsored Operations (False Flags)

SBM Intelligence, community testimony, and Amnesty International reported heavily armed attackers using military-grade weapons, tactical operations far beyond criminal skill, attacks coinciding with political events, suspects released mysteriously, victims shot with professional accuracy, identical trucks used in multiple states. Some killings were staged to justify federal militarisation, delegitimise IPOB, target political opponents, discredit local vigilantes amd weaken ESN’s public image

These professionally executed attacks were mislabeled as “Unknown Gunmen.”

5. Political Militias Masked as UGM

Ahead of 2023 elections, ozens of politicians hired hit squads, campaign offices were torched, rivals assassinated, INEC facilities attacked, operatives disguised themselves as “pro-Biafra gunmen”. The Southeast became a battlefield for political power. The result?

A region flooded with violence — none of it clearly traceable.

Outcome: Total Collapse of Public Trust
People no longer kne, who was protecting them, who was attacking them, who to obey, who to avoid, which gunman was political, which was criminal, which was security agency, which was ESN, which was “auto-pilot”.

Fear became the new law.Chaos became the only predictable reality. This breakdown of societal order was the most devastating consequence of the IPOB–Nigeria confrontation.

INTERNAL EARTHQUAKES, SIMON EKPA, FACTIONALISM, AND THE DISINTEGRATION OF IPOB

When Nnamdi Kanu was abducted in June 2021, IPOB’s central command structure collapsed.
A movement built around a single charismatic leader lost its coordinator.
Into that vacuum stepped Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based activist.

Ekpa’s Rise[/b]

He broadcasted aggressively, appealed to the most hurt and angry youths, framed himself as Kanu’s successor, accused IPOB leadership(DOS) of betrayal, gained social media dominance, enforced radical sit-at-home orders. Suddenly, IPOB had two centres of gravity, the Directorate of State (DOS) and Auto-Pilot faction under Ekpa This split was catastrophic.


CRIMINAL SYNDICATES, POLITICIANS & FALSE-FLAGS — A REGION HIJACKED
Between 2021 and 2024, the Southeast became the most complex security theatre in Nigeria.
It was no longer IPOB vs Nigeria, It became IPOB vs IPOB, ESN vs splinter cells, criminals vs civilians, politicians vs opponents, security agencies vs shadows, false flags vs truth. A deadly ecosystem.



NNAMDI KANU — THE PRISONER WHO STILL CONTROLS THE GAME

Despite being detained since 2021, Nnamdi Kanu remains the symbolic head of the Igbo agitatio, the moral anchor of millions, the only figure capable of unifying IPOB factions, the only person whose voice can end sit-at-home, the silent force shaping political outcomes in the region

Even his enemies acknowledge his relevance. Why Kanu is still Influential is because he speaks the language of Igbo historical pain, articulates the injustice ignored since 1966, commands loyalty in the diaspora, has moral legitimacy, maintains ideological clarity and is respected even by some critics

Even from DSS custody his occasional messages calm tensions, his disapproval of violence reduces attacks, his calls for unity still influence factions. He is a prisoner, yet the most powerful Igbo voice alive. Kanu is simultaneously a bargaining chip for Northern elites, a tool to intimidate Southeast governor, a symbol of injustice, a rallying cry for activists, a source of global attention to an unresolved political wound.

His detention stabilises no one, it destabilises everyone. The Nigerian security establishment knows that the Southeast was more peaceful when Kanu was outside. His imprisonment created power vacuums, empowered extremists, legitimised impostors, fragmented IPOB and radicalised youths

THE SOLUTION: A PATH TO PEACE, JUSTICE, AND REGIONAL STABILITY

Nigeria cannot kill an idea born out of 58 years of injustice.Only justice can end agitation, only truth can destroy extremism, only dialogue can bring peace.

Release Nnamdi Kanu, end militarisation of the Southeast, establish a Southeast Regional Security Network, dialogue with all stakeholders

The Igbo nation will never again accept silence, never again accept subjugation, never again accept fear as normal. The struggle is no longer about IPOB. It is about dignity, equality, memory, survival, identity and the future.

A new dawn is possible but only if Nigeria chooses justice over force and the Igbo choose unity over fragmentation.History has returned to demand answers. This time, the answers must be honest.

By Hon. Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu

Duruebube Ihiagwa ófó asato










https://oblongmedia.net/2025/11/25/a-complete-history-of-ipob-state-repression-and-the-struggle-for-igbo-survival-1966-2025/

Interesting video I came across on Facebook. In the video, Peter said that his son is 29 years old, was born in the UK, and presently lives in the UK. But Peter Obi said that ever since his son graduated from University, he has never given him one Naira, and that his son does not want him to give him any money because he has a job.


https://www.facebook.com/reel/2771568063183207/

Prince Emmanuel Kanu, younger brother to IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has taken to his Facebook page to reveal that him and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Hassan Kukah, have visited Kanu at Sokoto prisons:

Today, Bishop Mathew Hazzan Kukah finally met with the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Center. Their conversations were mostly filled with laughter and extreme joy. He prayed alongside his team of faithfuls.

Notorious Katsina based bandit leader, Isya Garwa, is now upgrading his wardrobe. Garwa who is known to attend peace meeting and press conferences carrying enough magazines for a company of Soldiers, and wearing a fedora military hat, has now upgraded. He still goes about with his magazines, but has ditched the hat and gone for high grade military helmet.

The man is upgrading

The headquarters of Imo State anti-kidnapping unit, notoriously known as "Tiger Base", has been in the news lately due to the alleged human rights violations going on there. A report alleges that Tiger Base has become a place where numerous crimes are being commited by Police officers such as extra-judicial killings, torture, extortion and even rape of female suspects held there. Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, submitted a detailed report to Amnesty International stating that as much as 200 people may have been killed at Tiger Base.


Yesterday Amnesty International received a new report on police atrocities at Tiger Base, Owerri, Imo state. The report highlighted extrajudicial execution, torture and extortion at the notorious detention centre where Nigerian Police operates outside of the law.

At Tiger Base, victims had been subjected to horrific torture methods, including hanging starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions, at the hands of callous and corrupt police officers

The report was launched by The Coalition Against Police Tiger Base Impunity (CAPTI) - which is a Nigerian social movement dedicated to promoting a free and democratic Nigeria free from police brutality and oppression. Composed of human rights organizations - ncluding Amnesty International Nigeria, Take It Back (TIB) Lawvers Without Borders, Youth Rights Campaign and over two million activists and supporters
Police atrocities at Tiger Base is a stain on Nigeria's image. Victims and survivors must get justice and violators must be held to account.

At about the 28th minute of the interview below, one of the main Lawyers of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Nnaemeka Ejiofor, said that while some people try to paint Kanu as a tribal bigot, the man is far from that. He revealed that before Kanu was convicted, he gave him the names of 6 Northerners detained in the DSS without charge, to help them get out, and also paid their legal bill.

Barrister Ejiofor said that two of the 6 Northerners, Kasimu Aliyu and Simbiatu Abdullahi who were arrested in Zamfara State by DSS, and brought to Abuja without any notification to their families, and were denied any right to contact anyone about their whereabouts for 7 months.

Ejiofor said that when he called their families in Zamfara to tell them that they were in DSS detention, Abuja, they were shocked. They thought they had been kidnapped by bandits and had been waiting for ransome demand. Ejiofor said that he had successfully taken the matter for the release of the 6 Northerners to the Jabi high court, and the matter was coming up for hearing. Ejiofor also revealed that when Nnamdi Kanu was locked up in Kuje Prison in 2015, he was paying the fines of prisoners from different parts of Nigeria, particularly the North, who had option of fine, so they could regain their freedom

Touching Kanu's conviction, Ejiofor said they were preparing to file a robust appeal at Appeal Court, and the judgement would not stand. He touched on the fact that throughout Kanu’s trial, the prosecution could not bring one single witness or person to say he or she killed anyone on Kanu's instructions or broadcast. He said that the prosecution said IPOB killed Gulak even though Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, had said IPOB has nothing to do with his death. He also said that the audio played in court of Kanu telling people to attack the security forces was doctored in such a way to remove the fact that what Kanu said is that if people are unjustly attacked or killed by the security forces, people should rise up and kill the security forces back, as it is self defence.

He was of the opinion that no single crime or act of violence was tied to Kanu during the trial, and the conviction was based solely on spoken words alone.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHhldJCyBtM&t=2200s

According to the findings, at least 200 people died or disappeared while in custody at Tiger Base during the four-year period.

A new damning report has uncovered widespread and systematic human rights abuses at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command popularly known as “Tiger Base.”

The report linked the unit to torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and large-scale extortion between 2021 and 2025.

The report, released by the Centre for Accountability and Transparency Initiatives (CAPTI), is based on extensive field investigations, survivor testimonies, accounts from families of victims, and analysis of official records.

It concludes that the scale and pattern of abuses amount to crimes under both Nigerian and international law.

According to the findings, at least 200 people died or disappeared while in custody at Tiger Base during the four-year period.

Among the identified victims are Japhet Njoku, Magnus Ejiogu, and Ekene Francis Elemuwa.

Several others remain unidentified, with their bodies either missing or allegedly withheld by the police authorities.

The report paints a grim picture of a detention facility where torture was routine.

Former detainees described severe beatings, electric shocks, and prolonged suspension by limbs. In some particularly brutal cases, officers were accused of using filing machines to inflict serious bodily harm on detainees.

Beyond physical torture, the report says Tiger Base functioned as a legal “black hole” where constitutional rights were routinely denied.

Suspects were allegedly detained for weeks or months without charge, denied access to lawyers, and cut off from their families.

CAPTI further revealed that arbitrary detention was used to fuel a lucrative extortion racket.

Families were reportedly forced to pay between ₦200,000 and ₦20 million to secure the release of detainees, including in cases that should have been treated as civil disputes rather than criminal matters.

The report also documented at least 50 cases of enforced disappearance linked to the facility.

Victims such as Pastor Chinedu, Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu, Onuocha Johnbosco, and Sunday and Calista Ifedi were said to have vanished after being taken into Tiger Base custody, with their families still receiving no official explanation.

Investigators accused the unit of deliberately obstructing accountability by denying access to human rights organisations, blocking the National Preventive Mechanism, concealing detention records, and intimidating potential witnesses.

Female detainees, the report noted, faced additional abuses, including alleged rape, sexual exploitation, and forced labour. These acts, CAPTI said, occurred within a system that treated detainees as property rather than as citizens entitled to constitutional protection.


Despite multiple petitions submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission, the report said no conclusive investigation has been carried out and no officer has been criminally prosecuted. Tiger Base, it added, continues to operate with “unbridled impunity.”

CAPTI warned that the situation at Tiger Base reflects a broader crisis of policing misconduct and corruption in Nigeria’s South-East, where security concerns are increasingly used to justify parallel systems of detention operating outside the rule of law.

“The unit has become an instrument of terror, extortion, and political repression rather than a law enforcement body protecting citizens,” the report stated.

Among its recommendations, CAPTI called for the immediate disbandment of Tiger Base, the transfer of all personnel for independent investigation, and the commencement of criminal prosecutions against officers implicated in torture, killings, and extortion.

It also urged the release or proper charging of all detainees held beyond constitutional limits, the strengthening of civilian oversight mechanisms, and full reparations for victims and their families.

The report warned that without urgent intervention, Tiger Base would continue to function as a “death chamber” for residents of Imo State, risking a repeat of the conditions that sparked the #EndSARS protests, with potentially more devastating consequences.

“Nigeria stands at a crossroads,” the report concluded, “between enforcing accountability and allowing security units to operate beyond the law, at the cost of countless lives.”

Present at the inauguration of the report were; fiery human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, Chido Onumah, former Secretary of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chinedu Agu, the Amnesty International, National Coordinator Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse & Torture (INHURAT), Gerald Katchy, Executive Director, Social Action, Isaac Botti and many others.


https://saharareporters.com/2025/12/15/report-exposes-widespread-torture-deaths-imo-police-custody-activists-commence-tiger

Eze Ndigbo Sokoto, HRM Eze TOB Gbahara, has visited IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in Sokoto prisons, along with some members of his cabinet.

Eze Gbahara pledged that the Igbo community in Sokoto would stand by Nnamdi Kanu for as long as he was in Sokoto prisons

On the 12th of December 2015, the then Chief Of Army Staff, General Tukur Burutai, visited the Army depot in Zaria, Kaduna. After leaving the depot, his convoy ran into a group of Shiite Muslims, under the organisation the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), during their annual pilgrimage procession. An argument started between Soldiers and IMN leaders over giving way to the Army Chiefs convoy. Things escalated, one thing led to the other, the Army accused IMN of trying to assassinate General Burutai, and attacked the procession

What happened next was three days of massacre as the Nigerian Army opened fire on the group, reinforced, surrounded the IMN enclave in Zaria. Amnesty International and the Islamic Human Rights Commission(IHRC) reported that:

In the ensuing orgy of bloodshed, security forces gunned down men, women and children before razing buildings connected to the movement. Hundreds more were injured. Witnesses and victims reported signs of widespread force and cruelty with allegations of looting, arson, mutilation, mass graves, torture, rape and other inhumane acts levelled at the Nigerian army.

The movement’s leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah were both shot and injured in the attack and saw three of their children killed. They were subsequently detained for many years without trial while Nigerian authorities took steps to crush the social and political movement.

Between the 12th and 14th of December 2015, the Nigerian Army massacred an estimated over 1000 unarmed people. In a desperate bid to cover up the massacre, the Army carted away hundreds of bodies and buried them in a mass grave in Mando area of Kaduna. The the President of Nigeria, Buhari, who never hid his animosity towards the Shiites, rebuked the group for blocking the way of a General. Buhari would later brand IMN a terrorist organisation. Buhari would later repeat this misadventure 2 years later with IPOB, declaring operation Python dance against them, invading Nnamdi Kanu's house, killing unarmed people and branding IPOB a terrorist group. This tipped the peaceful South East of Nigeria into insecurity it suffers today

The government would later admit that 340 people were killed in the Zaria bloodshed, however, human rights groups that investigated the killings has put the figure as well over 1000 people

Nobody has ever been prosecuted for the Zaria massacre

Houses, farm produce, domestic animals, and other valuables worth hundreds of millions of naira were reportedly destroyed during the mayhem.


Death toll has risen to nine after soldiers allegedly opened fire on protesting women in the Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Monday.

Also, 51 others are receiving treatment for varying degrees of gunshot wounds—many of them life-threatening.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that at least seven women were gunned down in a chilling incident involving troops said to be escorting Brigade Commander Amaechi Agwu of the 23 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Yola. The soldiers allegedly fired live rounds at the demonstrators in Lamurde.

A respected community leader, providing an update on Tuesday, said: “After the dust settled and a proper count was taken, these are the figures: 9 dead; 23 in hospital in Numan; 28 in hospital in Yola — bringing the total to 60.”

Repeated calls to the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, went unanswered, and a WhatsApp message sent to him had not been replied to at the time of filing this report.

Houses, farm produce, domestic animals, and other valuables worth hundreds of millions of naira were reportedly destroyed during the mayhem.

Meanwhile, the 23 Brigade on Tuesday issued a random statement denying that its troops shot at protesters.

In a statement signed by the brigade’s spokesperson, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, the army said a joint team of soldiers, police, and other security operatives only cleared barricades mounted by the women to secure the Lamurde council secretariat, claiming that “assailants” were advancing to set it ablaze.

Abidoye also stated that Brigadier General Amechi Agwu was not at the scene, noting that he was attending an online conference convened by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, at the time of the incident.

With many victims battling fatal gunshot injuries, residents fear the death toll may rise even further.



https://saharareporters.com/2025/12/09/nine-confirmed-dead-nigerian-army-shooting-women-protesters-adamawa-51-others-injured

What did eliminating him changed? Boko haram is as deadly as ever

ONITSHA – Chairman of GUO Group of Companies Limited, Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, has commended Igbo youths for their restraint following the life imprisonment sentence handed down to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Speaking to journalists at his GRA residence in Onitsha at the weekend, Okeke praised the calm maintained since the November judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, but warned that such patience should not be mistaken for weakness.


He called on relevant authorities to urgently pursue a political solution to Kanu’s situation, urging Southeast governors, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other prominent stakeholders to lobby for a presidential pardon.

“I salute Igbo youths for their patience. While they remain calm, the relevant authorities should begin to consider the quickest political solution to this matter,” he said.

Okeke appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider the appeals of prominent groups and individuals backing a political resolution, stressing that early intervention would help ease tension in the region.

He also expressed willingness to support any legitimate efforts towards a political solution, adding that stakeholders in the transport industry were ready to assist if logistics support was required.

On the issue of multiple security checkpoints in the Southeast and complaints of extortion, Okeke said the presence of police and military checkpoints was preferable to the activities of armed bandits and kidnappers.

According to him, encountering security agencies on highways, even with occasional demands for small payments, is safer than meeting criminals who abduct, kill and demand huge ransoms.

He argued that many security personnel operate under difficult conditions and poor welfare, noting that they often risk their lives to protect commuters.

However, Okeke advised security operatives to be more civil in their approach to the public to build trust and reduce tension at roadblocks, while urging the public to better appreciate the risks faced by security agents.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/guo-motors-boss-calls-for-political-solution-commends-igbo-youths-restraint-over-kanu-sentence/

The commercial city of of Aba turned into a Ghost town today as sit at home continues. Schools, Banks, Markets, all shut down.

In the video below, the Abia State house Of Assembly member representing Umuahia central, Anthony Chinasa, has declared that, IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is a political prisoner. Honourable Chinasa urged President Tinubu to use his office and set Nnamdi Kanu free.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUuud568Ets

The annual Ojukwu Memorial lecture held on Friday was graced by former Biafran Soldiers who came to pay their respects to their late commander in Chief, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu

These are men who fought the three year battle against Nigerian forces. All the men are now retired and are in their 70's or 80's.

Ojukwu memorial lecture held 2 days ago in front of Ojukwu Library. MASSOB was on the ground to entertain the crowd with a military parade in honour of late Biafran War lors, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu




https://www.facebook.com/reel/1256765233151509/?app=fbl

Popular Onitsha based Pastor and leader of the Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, Chukwuemeka Ohanemere, better known as "Odumeje" has declared that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu is the only good man in Igbo land

Reacting to the News of Kanu's conviction, Odumeje told a congregation gathered in his Church that Kanu is not just fighting for his freedom, but for the freedom of everyone

He said the corrupt ruling class have conspired to have Kanu locked up so they can keep looting the resources of the people because they feared what would happen if Kanu is released.

He said that Kanu had the opportunity to use the support he has to enrich himself and bargain for powerful political positions, but refused. He said that if Kanu was a sell-out like the rest, he would not be in jail today.



https://www.facebook.com/reel/1152910757036993/?app=fbl

I couldn't help but notice the sudden increase in the number of people suddenly wearing different versions of Nnamdi Kanu’s well known Fendi sportswear in solidarity with Kanu. Its good

Uchechi Kanu, Wife of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has a made a video this evening where she talked about her husband's conviction. She asked Igbos to calm down over the verdict, and that it will be appealed. She also made it known that justice Omotosho only read out a script in court that was handed to him. She said that Omotosho could barely read his own judgment, and that the judge clearly showed how biased he was by bringing up things that her husband was not even in court for such as attacking former British Ambassador, Catriona Laing and the bombing of the US Embassy. She said that the judge even blamed her husband for things attributed to Simon Ekpa when Simon was of a different group to her husband

She said that the judge did not allow her husband a final address in court as prescribed by law, and that it was clear that he was only in a hurry to convict her husband and throw away the key. She called the Nigerian government a kakistocracy that was bent on mistreating Igbo people

She also said that the judge tagged her husband an international terrorist based on mere words alone, not caring in what context he said them, and could not tell anyone who her husband killed. She cited an example of when the judge said that Kanu ordered that security agents should be attacked, that it was during ENDSARS protest when they were shooting unarmed ENDSARS protesters in Lagos, and her husband told the protesters to attack the security back

She also said that her husband was right not to open a defence without knowing under what law he was being charged. She reiterated that her husband would fight his conviction to its logical conclusion. She used the opportunity to thank all those who have been calling her, stressing that she has not slept in 24 hours due to numerous calls




https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1352267596439515&id=1352267596439515

Everyone knows that Nigeria is an insecure country, there are gunmen killing people everywhere, whether Muslims or Christians

What I dont understand about this is since you know that there is massive insecurity, since you know there are gunmen everywhere, why are you against Trump coming after some of those gunmen?

You say you are against terrorism, but if Trump says he will go after terrorists in Nigeria, you are angry?

How does this make sense?

Pascal9:
He is a very weak president

Well, we have seen where the strong Presidents have taken us

I think Nnamdi Kanu knew he wouldn't ever get justice in Nigeria

A government that illegally sends Soldiers to your house to kill you isn't one that is looking to give you justice

A government that breaks its own extradition laws, and that of Kenya, to go and kidnap you and bring you back to Nigeria, isn't one that cares about giving you justice

A government that refuses to release you when the courts order that you be released, is not one that will give you justice

Nnamdi Kanu already knew that no mattwr what the Judge says tomorrow, the Nigerian authorities wouldn't release him.

All freedom fighters mentally prepare for detention, the country of injustice and oppression they fight to free themselves from isn't one that cares about justice

A wave of anger and grief has swept through Amadu village in Takum local government area of Taraba State as residents stormed the streets in protest over the killing of six locals on Monday night by suspected terrorists.

The six victims, identified as Terfa Terhemen, Tyoyinga Ngunan, Sondongu Hangem, Aondoso Tsea, Aondona Mteroga, and Onov Nyoko, were reportedly killed in the violent incident, sparking widespread outrage and protests in the village.

An eyewitness who spoke to SaharaReporters on Tuesday, revealed that five of the victims are aged between 27-35 years, while the sixth victim, is aged between 50-65 years.

One of the eyewitnesses Titus Himanyian, told SaharaReporters that the protest, which began Tuesday morning, is ongoing, with residents demanding justice and action from the authorities to address the escalating violence in the area.

"We are calling for peace and calm, but we also demand that the government takes concrete steps to protect us," Himanyian said.

The incident has heightened tensions in the village, with residents fearing for their safety and security.

As at the time of filing this report authorities have yet to comment on the incident or the ongoing protest.

Earlier in November, the Taraba State Command of the Nigeria Police Force commenced an investigation into the alleged invasion of the Chanchanji community in Takum Local Government Area by armed herders.

As the killer-herders sparked fear and tension in the community, residents, including one Terkula Yooso and one Philip Abur, said on Tuesday that armed herders were seen moving into Chanchanji Ward from neighbouring Donga Local Government Area, allegedly planning coordinated attacks on nearby settlements.

Residents said intelligence gathered from within the area indicated that the attackers were plotting simultaneous assaults on Peva–Chanchanji and Kufai Ahmadu towns, both within the ward.

Yooso expressed deep concern over the situation, citing a history of previous attacks blamed on the same group.

“These militants have struck several surrounding villages, displacing thousands. Many residents are already taking refuge in Peva and Amadu. We cannot survive another round of violence,” Yooso said.

The alarm in Chanchanji followed a recent warning by the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Parish, Takum, Rev. Fr. George Dogo, who expressed concern over renewed attacks on communities in the region.

The cleric had earlier noted what he described as a “widening security breach” across parts of the local government.

Residents lamented that the area had become increasingly unsafe due to repeated assaults and delayed government responses.

Earlier also, the Holy Family Catholic Parish, Takum, Taraba State, raised the alarm over renewed attacks by suspected herders on several communities in the Takum Local Government Area, leading to the destruction of farmlands and mass displacement of residents.

https://saharareporters.com/2025/11/18/protest-erupts-amadu-community-taraba-over-gruesome-killing-six-residents-terrorists?fbclid=IwY2xjawOJtlxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR5_cvNv06CAJKjGRQIq5XVr5YKzh-nKmKwnFN19XIfBA1OfDlS-3YE43_COKA_aem_dBNXKjDJgz459O5u7AUHGQ

Nigeria is witnessing a resurgence of mass abductions as at least 145 people have been kidnapped in Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara states in the past four days.

The resurgence of mass kidnappings raises familiar political and security alarms as the country gears up for the 2027 polls.

In the run-up to the 2023 general elections, abductions were rampant.

A report by The PUNCH showed that between January and March 2023 alone, 792 people were abducted across Nigeria.


Many of these incidents were tied to banditry and criminal gangs, especially in the north.

However, as the political parties are warming up for the 2027 elections, there appears to be a resurgence of the situation.

In the early hours of Monday, armed men stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students and killing a staff member.

A school guard was also injured during the attack, which occurred early in the morning.

The Nigeria Police Force, in a statement shared via its WhatsApp channel, confirmed the incident, noting that police tactical units deployed within the school engaged the attackers but the gunmen escaped with the abducted students.

The police said additional tactical teams, in collaboration with the military and vigilantes, have been deployed to comb suspected bandit routes and nearby forests in a bid to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators.

“On November 17, 2025, at about 0400hrs, a gang of armed bandits with sophisticated weapons stormed the school, shooting sporadically.

“The police tactical units engaged them in a gun duel, but the bandits had already scaled the fence and abducted 25 students. One Hassan Makuku was shot dead, while Ali Shehu sustained an injury to his right hand, “ the statement partly read.

The force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached for more information on the incident.

But the Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, Bello Sani, reiterated the command’s resolve to protect residents and urged the public to remain calm and support ongoing operations.

The Kebbi incident came just two days after at least 16 vigilante members were killed and 42 residents kidnapped in seperate attacks by bandits in the Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.

Also, on Saturday, bandits attacked Fegin Baza village in the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing three persons and abducting at least, 64 others.

In another attack on Sunday, bandits launched a fresh assault on Tsohuwar Tasha village in the Ruwan Doruwa Ward of Maru Local Government, abducting 14 people, including 11 women and three children.

Recent reports by Daily Trust indicates that communities in Zurmi, Shinkafi, Maradun, Tsafe and Bungudu LGAs of Zamfara State have faced repeated assaults in recent months, leading to displacement and the imposition of levies and ransoms by armed groups.

Swift rescue pledged

The Federal Government expressed deep concern over the abduction of the female students from Government Girls Secondary School, vowing to ensure their safe return.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Monday.

Idris noted that President Bola Tinubu, has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the state.

The government condemned the attack on the school, describing it as “reprehensible” and decried the killing of school officials who were carrying out their duties.

He added, “Our security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice.

“The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved.

“We assure Nigerians that strengthening internal security remains a top priority. The Federal Government is recalibrating the nation’s military, policing, and intelligence capabilities to more effectively prevent these attacks and respond with greater speed and precision whenever threats arise.”

The minister further stated that government is intensifying collaboration with regional partners through the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force to secure the borders and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force and the military have launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation to recover the abducted students.



https://punchng.com/mass-abductions-return-145-missing-in-four-days/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOI4glleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR5t7L14mScK-IH0pokRPdKtNZjoUlD_NjlyzFZLLWmFmYYDZUHswZNfL17pcA_aem_b4QNT6lv1QLkA-NNnT1RLA

Scores of Christian worshippers have been reportedly killed by armed herdsmen in Eha-Amufu communities in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, with 31 lives lost between January and June 2025 alone.

This is according to figures released by the Anglican Church authorities, detailing the names of the churches that were attacked and casualties lost in each onslaught.

A new report released by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) also said the armed herdsmen group devastated 14 Anglican and Catholic parishes across Eha-Amufu between May 2021 and June 2025, leaving 117 worshippers dead, hundreds of homes and farmlands destroyed, and entire communities deserted.

In its report, Intersociety described the killings as “systematic and faith-targeted”, alleging that Jihadist militants had infiltrated and occupied no fewer than 950 forest locations across the South-East, including 56 in Enugu State alone.

The Intersociety chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, said the atrocities were sadly being downplayed by political leaders in the region.

He added that while governors across the region, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state, Hope Uzodinma of Imo state, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state, and Alex Otti of Abia state, have publicly denied the presence of armed herdsmen, the evidence on the ground suggests otherwise.

Intersociety’s data detailed 14 separate church attacks in Eha-Amufu alone, with both Anglican and Catholic parishes among the victims.

According to the report, in May 2021, the Holy Anglican Church in Okpokwu, Mgbuji, was reportedly invaded, leaving 25 worshippers dead.

A series of coordinated assaults in January 2022 affected seven parishes, including St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Ogbete, where 40 members were massacred.

Subsequent incidents include an attack on St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Ngele-Aguiyi, where four people were killed. An attack on St. Michael’s and All Angels’ Catholic Church, Okpurigwu, in which two people were killed, and an attack on the Anglican Church, Obodoudo, Aguamede, in which five people were killed.


Others are an attack on; All Saints Anglican Church, Onitsha-Ebia, in March 2024, in which one person was killed. An attack on Christ Anglican Church, Amaofia, in May 2024, in which four people were killed.

An attack on Victory Anglican Church, Iyi-Asaa, in June 2025, in which two people were killed.

An attack on Our Saviour Anglican Church, Iyi-Asaa, in June 2025, in which nine people were killed, and an attack on St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Ikpakpara, in June 2025, in which 20 people were killed.

The report noted that the attacks have forced the closure of at least eight out of nine parishes under the local episcopal authority, while thousands of displaced residents now live as refugees in neighbouring communities.

A senior Anglican priest in Eha-Amufu told Intersociety researchers that he and local volunteers buried eight decomposing bodies of parishioners within a single day after a January 2022 attack.


“Many were abducted into nearby forests and slaughtered. We retrieved their bodies days later. Soldiers only came after the attack to help pick corpses, but never when the killing was happening,” the unnamed priest said, according to the report.

Other residents claimed that a helicopter allegedly “linked to the attackers” was sighted hovering over the area before major assaults, dropping suspicious objects believed to be weapons.

The report accused soldiers of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, of failing to respond to distress calls during attacks but assisting only afterward to retrieve corpses.


https://saharareporters.com/2025/11/11/anglican-catholic-churches-worst-hit-armed-herdsmen-attacks-enugu-lose-117-worshippers