The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged youths in the South-East to avoid joining the Nigerian Army, warning that doing so may expose them to the dangers of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.
Instead, IPOB is encouraging young people in the region to return home and take up farming, arguing that the Nigerian state has consistently treated soldiers from various ethnic groups—especially the Igbo—unfairly.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the separatist group reiterated its long-standing caution against joining the military, claiming that Igbo recruits are often sent into deadly conflict zones in the North due to what it describes as “ethnic prejudice” within the Army.
“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 cited viral videos and reports showing Nigerian soldiers on the frontlines decrying poor treatment—ranging from inadequate allowances and supplies to lack of proper medical care and equipment.
According to IPOB, these soldiers are being used as pawns in covert arrangements between Nigerian politicians and their Western allies.
“We have evidence of military barracks and police stations in the North being overtaken by terrorists,” the statement continued. “Meanwhile, the same government rewards the killers of these unsuspecting soldiers with cash, jobs, and scholarships under the pretense of them being ‘repentant terrorists’—eventually recruiting them into the same security forces.”
IPOB warned that many Igbo youths have already died in these state-sponsored conflicts, and those who survive often return home physically or emotionally broken—with nothing to show for their service.
“No Biafran youth should allow themselves to become a tool in the hands of the Federal Government, ECOWAS, or Western imperialists, to be used against the people of the Sahel,” Powerful said. “Any Igbo youth who enlists in the Nigerian Army is writing their name in sorrow. You will either be sacrificed to terrorists, killed by the state, or used as cannon fodder in proxy wars.”
“And if by some chance you return alive, it will be in disgrace—with no benefits, no honor. Ask those who have been part of these proxy wars what they gained. The answer is nothing.”
Instead of risking their lives in what IPOB called an “unjust system,” the group urged young people to return to their communities and take up farming.
“Just imagine what awaits you as an Igbo soldier. Your success will be seen as a threat to the Nigerian state. Your fight against insurgents will be misrepresented as a war against the North,” the statement said.
“Where are all the brave Igbo youths who joined the Army since 2020? Many have died. Others are languishing in military detention simply for asking for equality.”
Concluding the statement, IPOB reiterated its appeal: “We have warned our people before, and we’re doing so again—do not join the Nigerian Army. It is built on ethnic bias and aligned with those who support terrorism.”
The PUNCH
