₦airaland Forum

A wave of bloodshed is sweeping across Nigeria’s South-East, as criminal gangs and separatist militias terrorise communities with brutal killings, abductions, and arson attacks. In towns like Orsu, Ehime Mbano, and Ihiala, entire families have fled ancestral homes, leaving behind ghost villages and smouldering memories. What’s more disturbing is the rise of teenage boys, some recruited via TikTok, being lured into these armed movements with promises of power, protection, and purpose. In this investigation, GODFREY GEORGE exposes the grim realities of life under siege in the South-East, how online radicalisation is fuelling rural terror, and what authorities are, or aren’t, doing to stop it

“You think I am illiterate, right? You dare call me a village champion? No problem. I agree. Come back to the village if you have the liver, and let’s see if you will leave here alive. You must be mad!

“I will kill you and kill what is giving you the morale. F*ck you. If you feel you are wise, come back to the Zoo (village). You will run. This is our land, and if anyone says the killing is too much for them, let them come and say it in front of us, and we will gun them down. Men mount!”

These chilling threats were issued by a TikTok user known as @I_am_Ndubuisi. In the video, which is now widely circulated, he is dark-skinned and draped in an orange shirt, his eyes bloodshot with fury. His words are not isolated or performative. They echo a disturbing reality in the South-East of Nigeria, where an undercurrent of terror continues to drown communities in silence.

For days now, a silent war has been brewing within the ranks of criminal gangs terrorising the region.

The South-East, comprising Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states, has seen an escalation in violence, with Imo and Anambra states bearing the brunt, according to several independent reports from civil society groups and security experts. From ‘routine’ beheadings to public shootouts and kidnappings, the region is under siege, and young people, many barely in their twenties, are the face of the terror.

Investigations by Saturday PUNCH have uncovered an ongoing clash between two rival factions of the Eastern Security Network (popularly known as ESN), a militia wing linked to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, founded by the now-incarcerated Nnamdi Kanu.

The warring groups are led by individuals who go by the aliases “Caterpillar” and “Gentle”, the latter leading the notorious ‘Auto Pilot’ faction. Auto Pilot has been fingered in several senseless killings and kidnappings since April 2023.

Earlier in the year, they were said to have launched one of the deadliest attacks in Orsu, Imo State, killing scores and leaving burnt houses in their trail.

The rift, sources say, is not ideological but a brutal battle for control of arms, territory, cash, and loyalty. But what is even more alarming is their recruitment method: social media.

TikTok, a new frontline?
TikTok, a platform best known for dances and skits, has become a digital corridor into extremism.

With minimal censorship and rampant anonymity, it now harbours a disturbing trend of open propaganda, recruitment videos, and even live threats of violence by self-styled militants.

A Facebook user, Charles Ogbu, posted on Monday pictures of accounts of these young terror groups.

He wrote, “These are some of the Igbo boys killing, maiming, kidnapping, burning and destroying fellow Ndigbo in Orsu, Orlu, Okigwe, etc in Imo State and the entire Ihiala in Anambra State. So young, yet so dark-hearted.”

He added, in Igbo: “Ife ólú melu Igbo di ofu mana ife Igbo melu Onwe fa di asaa,” which is loosely interpreted to mean, “What others do to the Igbo may be one thing, but what the Igbo do to themselves is something entirely more devastating.”

Ogbu argued that the violence will persist for as long as governments in the region, specifically under Governors Hope Uzodimma (Imo) and Charles Soludo (Anambra), fail to act decisively.

He also pointed fingers at community members allegedly serving as informants to the gangs. He warned that one of the ESN commanders, Gentle, had recently relocated to Obollo in Enugu State due to increased heat from the community.

On August 3, another user, @chude__, who has been at the forefront of this fight against criminality in the region, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “These are the people causing insecurity in the South-East. They camp within the borders of Ihiala LGA, Anambra State, and Orlu LGA, Imo State.

“Some of them have active TikTok accounts where they post their dastardly acts. They don’t hide their location and identity. Visit their TikTok page, and you will see for yourself. Why can’t the government stop these small boys?”

The evidence is not anecdotal. It is visual, graphic, and damning.

A third user, Nze (@nzemmili), wrote: “I went down a TikTok rabbit hole and stumbled upon the side where Biafran extremists operate. Shockingly, most of them are teenagers, largely from Imo State, particularly around Okigwe, Orlu, and Arondizuogu. They’re barely 25 years old. Imagine terrorists with fanboys.”

Saturday PUNCH followed that rabbit hole, too, and the revelations are shocking.

Using a burner account, our correspondent accessed multiple active TikTok accounts of these young insurgents.

The usernames alone tell a story of weaponised identity: Scorpion, Agwu na-eche Mba (the lion that watches his tribe), Oku na-ere ere (the consuming fire), Black Mamba, Ochichi (terror).

They flaunt rifles, pump-action shotguns, and stacks of cash in videos set to Igbo war songs, gyrating in their camps clad in military fatigues and orange berets with ‘ESN’ boldly emblazoned.
In one video, two boys, no older than 21, fire sporadically into the air as they chant threats in the dialects of Owerri and Okigwe.

The comment sections are a cesspit: adults cheer them on; teenagers ask how they too can join.

A generation lost to violence

These boys are not merely foot soldiers. They are the architects of fear in their communities, feared more than even conventional armed robbers. Several locals interviewed by Saturday PUNCH who fled Orlu, Ihiala and Arondizuogu said their only offence was refusing to join or to let their sons be recruited.

Those who resist are punished. Their homes are burnt, their families are threatened, and in some cases, they disappear without a trace.

One man, Thankgod Okonkwo, a native of Orlu now seeking refuge in Asaba, said, “My younger brother refused to join them. He said no to Gentle’s men. One week later, our house was set ablaze at night. My father barely made it out alive.

“My mother died two months later from the excess smoke inhalation. I had to run with my wife and two children. My other siblings had run to stay with an uncle in Abuja. It’s terrible.”

Even more disheartening than the videos themselves are the comment sections. Adults, some of them middle-aged men with verified accounts, are seen egging the boys on.

They urge them to “defend Biafra”, to “spill more blood”, and “gun down traitors”. Beneath videos of teenagers brandishing assault rifles are comments hailing them as heroes. “Our liberators!”, one reads.

Black South (@1Okigbo) wrote on X, “After going through their comments section I wept, seeing some adults cheering them up, seeing under-20s asking how to join them. Mehn!”

For every bullet fired, there are virtual voices clapping. For every house razed, there’s someone calling it a step closer to freedom.

John Nwa Chineke (@IzuoguJohn) tweeted, “Government should release Nazi Nnamdi Kanu.” Nwachukwu David (@DavidShorly2646) added, “You can cry forever. Do you think you can fight ideology with guns and bullets? Those boys you see are victims of your Nigeria terrorist state. The injustice of your government Nigeria killed their families… now they are Biafran children, and they are not terrorists.”

Clash of militants

In an explosive voice note leaked by Caterpillar and obtained by this reporter, a man alleged to be Gentle lays bare the mechanics of carnage.

Gentle, in the recording, allegedly maps out a terror operation involving fake Fulani actors, manipulated broadcasts, and targeted killings disguised as ethnic conflict.

He promised to provide police uniforms for the operation and assured his collaborators that security patrols would be light on the night of the hit.

“We will behave like bike men and we will shoot them down… Those men that will do this movement must be in uniform.”

However, Commander Caterpillar, in a fiery counter-broadcast, expresses rage and disappointment.

“We cannot say because you are my brother and we started the struggle together, I will leave you when you turn your oath against our people,” he spoke in Igbo.

He accuses Gentle of recruiting minors via TikTok, exploiting the allure of nationalism to create a child army. According to Caterpillar, Gentle’s camp is driven not by liberation but by profit and blood.

“Me, Caterpillar, will not stand for it. I rather quit. If you are giving me money, supporting my own people to kill my own people, you are the first person I will kill.”

The voice is filled with conviction, but also contradiction. While distancing himself from mass violence, Caterpillar implicitly admits to operating outside the law, enforcing a personal justice system under the guise of moral superiority.

A former insider, who gave his name only as Ebekuodike, accused Gentle of murdering his foremen and indoctrinating underage boys into a violent cult masked as a liberation movement.

According to him, communities like Anichie and Obinetiti are emptying out as villagers flee in fear.

“They should not run,” he pleaded, in his own broadcast which has been widely circulated on X, Facebook and TikTok. “Gentle is working with terrorists.”

Simon Ekpa connection

In the escalating violence across the South-East, links to Finland-based separatist agitator Simon Ekpa continue to surface with alarming frequency.

The latest development in Orsu, Imo State, where over 500 individuals described as “unknown gunmen” reportedly surrendered, is deepening scrutiny into the alleged masterminds behind the reign of terror.

Among the arrested was a former lawmaker for Orsu State Constituency, who was accused by the Imo State Government of sponsoring Ekpa and his criminal Biafra group.

While Ekpa remains abroad in the custody of the Finnish police, his words appear to command deadly loyalty at home, and communities continue to pay the price.

In an April 2025 report, the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, condemned the silence of South-East governors in the face of continuous killings in the region, warning that the bloodshed signals a dire collapse of governance.

The group decried the brutal killings of over 300 Igbos in just the first quarter of 2025.


These were contained in a statement by the indigenous group’s Deputy President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

“The apex Igbo Socio-Cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, finds it imperative to express its profound concern regarding the egregious reports detailing the brutal killings of over 300 individuals in the South-East during the first quarter of 2025.

“This heinous loss of life, compounded by the conspicuous conspiracy of silence exhibited by our South-East Governors, represents a dual tragedy that the Igbo Nation categorically deems unacceptable."

Ohanaeze invoked the legacy of past Igbo heroes, expressing anguish that the courage and vision they once embodied had been replaced by a silence that is as deafening as it is also dangerous.

Residents’ cry for help

In hushed tones and heart-wrenching detail, ordinary citizens of Imo State are using their social media platforms to chronicle a tragedy unfolding in real-time.

From Arondizuogu, a user, @nazxie10, recounts how his uncle was kidnapped in December 2023. “We haven’t heard any thing from him till now,” he posted.

Another, @kudiegomoney, mourns the loss of a beloved uncle whose burial rites couldn’t be observed due to the spiralling insecurity in the state.

“Imo State governor should know that his state is riddled with terrorism,” he stated.

One user, @MrIzzymann, paints a chilling picture of life along the Orlu-Mgbidi axis: ambush points, young men armed with rifles and amulets, demanding tolls under the threat of death. “Even the military don’t go near that side,” he said.

Govts condemn attacks

The Anambra government has publicly condemned recent killings, especially in communities such as Ogboji.

Officials, including Commissioner for Information Dr. Law Mefor, have issued several statements assuring the public that perpetrators will be brought to justice.

The state has intensified targeting of insurgent hideouts and recovered arms, and has instituted a monetary reward for credible tips that lead to arrests.

Although Imo’s government statements are more dispersed, it has joined federal investigations into high-profile attacks, including the massacre on the Okigwe–Owerri highway. One suspect was killed during a joint security operation, and a manhunt continues. Authorities are reportedly in talks with Finnish and Nigerian officials to bring international suspects like Simon Ekpa to justice.

Following multiple violent attacks in Uzo-Uwani, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has publicly acknowledged the severity of the threat and called for stronger security measures.

However, local officials and community leaders have criticised the government’s slow response and underwhelming protection effort.

Experts like Chris Oha and members of Ogbako Ndígbo Nile Worldwide urge South East governors to establish a region wide, Amotekun style task force.

Modelled on successful state neighbourhood patrol units, this would be staffed by trained, locally recruited youths and retired security officers fluent in Igbo and local realities.

“Leadership must be assigned by traditional rulers and town unions to ensure trust and accountability,” he said.

He added that state legislatures should pass laws recognising local vigilance networks.

“Historical models like the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and community police in Kano and Zamfara show that regulated local watchers with proper oversight can drive intelligence gathering and early-warning systems in remote areas,” he said.

Security expert, Mr Jackson Lekan-Ojo, said deploying technologies such as drones, CCTV networks, command and control centres, and real time GIS monitoring, similar to Enugu State’s newly commissioned surveillance hub, to track the movement of armed groups, hotspot zones, and aid rapid response.

He added that long term solutions required tackling youth unemployment, poverty, and marginalisation.

He said, “Programmes for vocational training, microfinance, and diaspora investments can undercut recruitment pipelines for extremist groups.”

Meanwhile, a group of businessmen from Orsu in Imo State and neighbouring Ihiala in Anambra have launched an ambitious and unconventional campaign to reclaim their homeland.

Operating under the name Idinma Orsu Initiative, these men, many of them affluent entrepreneurs, have raised over N800m to fund community-based security interventions in the face of relentless killings, kidnappings, and IPOB-linked violence that have turned large swathes of the Southeast into no-go zones.

With official security responses proving insufficient or, in some areas, non-existent, the Idinma Orsu group turned to vigilante groups.

Their funding covers the provision of patrol vehicles, fuel, food, and a structured monthly salary for the armed community guards tasked with protecting lives and property.

Eighteen operational vehicles have so far been deployed across key flashpoints in the troubled Orsu axis and parts of Ihiala.

The initiative’s president, Chief Chuddy Okpalaku, noted that the group’s efforts are conducted with the backing of state actors, including the Imo State Government and security agencies like the DSS and military.

Their collaboration, he said, ensures better intelligence flow and tactical support, while the community guards maintain ground-level presence and local trust.

In Ehime Mbano, a parallel structure exists, where another vigilance group, the Nsu Security Vigilance Group, is hired to escort mourners during burials and provide protection at public events. Locals say it’s cheaper and more reliable than calling police officers, who often decline to venture into rural areas.

But while the initiative is praised for its boldness and effectiveness, security analysts warn of the risks of community-led militancy becoming self-perpetuating or unregulated.

owobokiri:
Another election period and the Lagos ibadam express way mercenary press houses have started what they always do;churning out all sorts of anti igbo diatribes for the consumption of the uninitiated.

Punch should go and focus on the southwest refugees in Benin republic. Fellow kwantirimen driven out of the kwantiri by our "fulani brothers". Lots of swats of lands and villages all over the south west have been taken over by fulani marauders.

There is no epidemic of killings or mass murders going on in the east. There are security challenges but the government seems to like that situation because if they really wanted to end it, they would have done so long time ago..

omoredia:
That's a lie. We know that the sponsor of terrorism in nigeria also sponsor the media to spread lies and misinformation. Just as terrorists sponsors of groups like Hamas and Isis are also sponsoring Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN etc to spread lies and false narratives

Commentor:
owobokiri is already claiming its propaganda.

I think he's somehow in their group.

obembet:
Several locals interviewed by Saturday PUNCH who fled Orlu, Ihiala and Arondizuogu said their only offence was refusing to join or to let their sons be recruited.

Operating under the name Idinma Orsu Initiative, these men, many of them affluent entrepreneurs, have raised over N800m to fund community-based security interventions in the face of relentless killings, kidnappings, and IPOB-linked violence that have turned large swathes of the Southeast into no-go zones.
Source: https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1954138379873915204?t=DafMsHH9jmJJ36kShadYxg&s=19[/quote]They are all over nairaland too. Their parents must be held responsible for their wayward children's actions.

This was the method Lagos State used to combat the recruitment of Yoruba youths for internet fraud when the crime surged then. It was repeatedly announced in Yoruba on Radio Lagos that the government will arrest, detain and prosecute the parents and their criminal wards.

Some parents voluntarily started running to government to hand over their wayward children before they land in trouble with Lagos State Government. The irresponsible parents benefit from the proceeds of the crime so they should be arrested, prosecuted and jailed with their wayward children too. Handcuff their legs and hands together to prevent their escape!

Except DSS and Southeast states governments do their work excellently to save the lives and future of potential victims, there seems to be no end in sight soon.

lexy2014:
The first pix is a tiktok pix. You say they are criminals.

Why blur their faces?

Is the public not supposed to know those who pose a threat to lives and property?

FreeStuffsNG:
They are all over nairaland too. Their parents are to held responsible.

Except DSS does its work excellently to save the lives and future of their potential victims, there seems to be no end in sight soon.

chukwutee:
I see believe the southwest government are in complicit with this problem, place heavy restrictions on anything coming from those barren regions, watch how crimes will reduced drastically in the southwest especially Lagos.

Godsgrace88:
All this thing I just because of election yes to me everything is being politicized in this country

FreeStuffsNG:
They are all over nairaland too. Their parents are to held responsible for their wayward children's actions. This was the method Lagos State used to combat the recruitment of Yoruba youths for internet fraud when the crime surged then. It was repeatedly announced in Yoruba on Radio Lagos that the government will arrest, detain and prosecute the wards and criminal wards. Some parents started running to government to hand over their wayward children before they land in trouble with government.

Except DSS and Southeast states governments do their work excellently to save the lives and future of their potential victims, there seems to be no end in sight soon.

chukwutee:
I see believe the southwest government are in complicit with this problem, place heavy restrictions on anything coming from those barren regions, watch how crimes will reduced drastically in the southwest especially Lagos.