Nigeria: Court upholds IPOB terrorist label January 18

Event

On Thursday, January 18, a division of the Federal High Court in Abuja upheld an earlier ruling labeling the pro-secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a terrorist organization. Members of the IPOB had appealed the initial decision against them, which was handed down on September 20, claiming that the government violated the group’s rights during the hearing. Unrest in the southeastern region and related clashes between security forces and armed groups are likely in the coming days following the decision.

Context

The initial September 2017 ruling came days after the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, went missing from his home in Abia State. Kanu, who is facing trial with other defendants on alleged terrorism charges and other related offenses, has not been seen since September. A wave of relatively peaceful protests started in 2015 over the lack of infrastructure in the region, the poor distribution of oil revenues, and low Igbo representation in government posts. The situation started to intensify following the October 2015 arrest and prosecution of Kanu, director of Radio Biafra, an unlicensed radio station broadcasted from London and accused of spreading hate and violence. Since his arrest, protesters have demanded both his release and an independent Biafra, and have repeatedly clashed with security forces.  Kanu had been released on bail since May 2017, but the government subsequently decided to revoke his bail on the grounds that he violated the bail conditions in September.

Conflicts between Biafra separatists and the central Nigerian government are recurrent in the southeastern region. The so-called Biafra region includes various southeastern (Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi) and southern states (Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River). Igbos, a mostly-Christian tribe that represents most of the southeastern population, seceded on May 30, 1967, to establish the Republic of Biafra, sparking a brutal civil war that resulted in an estimated 1 million deaths. The desire for a sovereign Biafra was in reaction to what was called the “Igbo genocide in the north” and other instances of ethnic marginalization by the government. The rebellion was put down by the much stronger federal army.

Igbo frustrations have grown in the decades since. Most Igbos believe that since the end of the civil war and prior to the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan (a Christian from the South) in 2010, the central government deliberately pursued a discriminatory policy aimed at marginalizing them. The arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari (a Muslim from the North) to the presidency triggered fears that Igbo communities would be as marginalized as they were before Jonathan’s election.

Advice

Individuals in Nigeria are advised to remain vigilant at all times, to avoid sites where clashes are particularly likely (government buildings, places of worship, tourist sites, etc.), and if possible to avoid non-essential travel to affected regions.

On a separate note, travelers are advised to follow any orders issued by authorities and abide by all curfews in effect. The security environment in Nigeria is complex and is particularly concerning in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.