In a strongly worded statement issued Thursday, the non-partisan Igbo advocacy group Oganihū expressed grave concern over the escalating violence in Nigeria’s South East region, allegedly perpetrated by armed herders.
The group condemned the persistent insecurity, the destruction of farmlands, and the absence of government accountability.
The communique highlights widespread destruction and killings carried out by armed herders across the region.
According to Oganihū, herders routinely graze livestock across farmlands, roads, and residential areas “with impunity,” leading to fear and resentment in host communities.
The group claims this “grand plan” is meant to supplant indigenous landowners and has gone largely unchallenged by both federal and state governments.
Oganihū criticised state and federal authorities for what it describes as “passive indulgence” and a failure to investigate or condemn the violence. “There’s been no explanation, no accountability,” the statement reads, adding that security agencies appear “overwhelmed or indifferent.”
The group put forward four core demands aimed at stemming the crisis: All levels of government must fulfil their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, Herders must cease carrying weapons and limit livestock rearing to legally purchased land.
Furthermore, it demanded that Igbo communities should collaborate with local authorities and vigilance groups to enforce disarmament and prevent farmland trespassing and South East governors must coordinate a decisive and unified response employing legal, security, and administrative tools.
The statement was jointly signed by 15 prominent individuals, including lawyers, professors, and civil rights advocates such as Obinali S. Duru, Esq., Prof. Amanze Akpuda, and Dr. Sam Amadi.
In their closing remarks, Oganihū declared that violence against their people “must cease forthwith and will no longer be tolerated.”
