The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on youths in Nigeria’s South-East to shun the ongoing Nigerian Army recruitment, warning that enlisting could expose them to the dangers of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group advised young Igbo men to instead return home and engage in farming. IPOB alleged that the Nigerian military system is biased and often sends Igbo recruits into dangerous conflict zones, particularly in the North, as a result of what it described as ethnic prejudice.
“The global family of IPOB once again urges Biafran youths to steer clear of the ongoing Nigerian Army recruitment,” the statement read. “Before you consider enlisting, ask yourself: what happened to those who joined a few years ago? Many have fallen victim to Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the North.”
The group also pointed to viral videos and frontline reports of Nigerian soldiers lamenting poor treatment, lack of proper medical care, and inadequate support from the government. It claimed that while soldiers risk their lives, the same government compensates “repentant terrorists” with jobs, cash, and scholarships.
“We have evidence of military barracks and police stations in the North being overtaken by terrorists,” the statement alleged. “Meanwhile, the killers of these soldiers are being rewarded and even recruited into the same security forces.”
IPOB further warned that many Igbo youths who joined the army in recent years have died, while others returned home traumatized and abandoned. It accused the Federal Government of using them as pawns in proxy wars orchestrated by Western interests and ECOWAS alliances.
“No Biafran youth should allow themselves to become a tool in the hands of the Federal Government, ECOWAS, or Western imperialists,” the group said. “Any Igbo youth who enlists in the Nigerian Army is writing their name in sorrow.”
The statement concluded by urging South-East youths to take up farming and contribute to the development of their communities rather than joining what IPOB described as an unjust and ethnically biased system.