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Breaking: Why Ndigbo will not join anti Tinubu protests – South East Group
South East Development Peace Initiative (SPDI) has advised Ndigbo nationwide against joining the much talked about mass protest against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
There have been a nationwide outrage against the current administration with flashes of protests in different parts of the country due to rising inflation, hunger and general hardship.
However despite the growing bitterness Nigerians in the South East region have stayed away from the protests raising eyebrows from some prominent Nigerians who questioned why the zone has remained calm despite the biting hardship.
In particular, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, while expressing surprise against the worsening economic hardship said,
“I honestly don’t know why the South East is quiet, uncharacteristically quiet….”
Speaking after a meeting of the group in Enugu, the President of South East Development Peace Initiative Hon Vitus Okechi said that the injustices against Ndigbo in Nigeria are such that they do not have any reason to protest, as they have faced worse challenging situations in Nigeria.
Okechi, a Local Government Chairman in Enugu State expressed shock that other parts of the country are protesting just because of hunger when Ndigbo have serially suffered deprivation, marginalisation, discrimination, humiliation, neglect, and even higher level of hunger and deprivation.
He said; “Igbo people are used to suffering in Nigeria. Our people have been killed at the slightest provocation; our shops and businesses have been burnt and looted because we are Igbo. We have been neglected, afflicted, marginalised to the extent that what is happening now is not new to us.”
He recalled the post civil war era when every Igbo person was awarded £20 at a point the government was declaring ‘No Victor, No Vanquished,’ the people survived and heavens did not fall. Nobody protested.
“Ndigbo were further purnished when the same government banned the importation of stock fish and second hand clothes; two major commodities traded in Onitsha and Aba, all targeted at ensuring that the defeated Igbo people remained down and out. There were no protests.
“We have all forgotten the 1974 indegenization policy, when shares and stocks owned by foreigners in businesses in Nigeria were to be relinquished to local interests. Of course the Igbo had been battered by the war and would not have the financial muzzle to compete. The North and West took centre stage in acquiring these shares and stocks which shifted the economic balance in their favour.
“Ndigbo have been at the receiving end in the affairs of the country and all efforts for equity and justice have fallen on deaf ears. Were there protests, NO!
“Today, the South East is the only geopolitical zone that has only five (5) states; and 95 local government areas while some geopolitical zones have as much as 188 local government areas.
“The Sit-at-home in the South East is because of the incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The Sit at Home has caused the Igbo losses in lives and properties. All the appeals to the federal government for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu have been rebuffed as an Igbo problem.
“We have been marginalized in every way. The roads in the South East are abandoned and neglected while the few motorable ones are made taxation points for security operatives.
Outside that, some persons have sworn that no Igbo should be allowed to be president in Nigeria. That is while when it is the turn of the Igbo, political parties threw their tickets open even against their own constitution.
In political appointments we are treated like strangers. Even the Federal Character is jettisoned just to deprive the people. We are used to injustices in a country we have contributed immensely to its development. No! We can’t protest.
“We cannot protest because of hunger or any other thing in Nigeria. We have faced worse hunger, worse starvation and we survived.
“Those asking why we are protesting are doing so to set us up for the slaughter as usual. We all recall several incidences where Igbo protesters were brutally murdered in the past.
“No one will achieve that with us now. We are wiser.
“We will continue to show support for President Bola Tinubu. We believe that he knows what he is doing. We are sure that the current hardship will be for the good of the country.
Why didn’t these protests start during former President Buhari who laid the weak economic foundation.
“We are bold to support the government of President Bola Tinubu; we will also back him for a second tenure in office. We stand on his mandate.
“In our capacity, as a Pro-Igbo group, we add our voice to the call of Igbo leaders that no Igbo man anywhere should join the current hunger induced protests,” the former Enugu Commissioner said.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
DSS Detains Novelist Okey Ndibe at Lagos Airport, Awaits Clearance from Abuja
Renowned Nigerian novelist, journalist, and academic, Okey Ndibe, was reportedly detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday morning.
Ndibe disclosed his situation in a message sent while in custody, stating: “I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some oga before they let me go.”
According to sources close to the writer, his detention follows a pattern that dates back to previous administrations, including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, during which he was frequently stopped and questioned over his critical commentaries on Nigerian governance and public affairs.
However, associates noted that Ndibe has largely stepped away from active commentary in Nigerian media over the past two years, focusing instead on writing books and his academic responsibilities at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches.
A close friend of the author and former Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said similar incidents had occurred several times in the past. He explained that airport DSS officials typically contacted their superiors in Abuja before eventually releasing Ndibe.
“It is a pity that this agency doesn’t update its database to enable officers on duty at the airport to know that the agency no longer regards Prof. Ndibe as a security threat to the administration,” Adinuba said.
He added that on previous occasions, the DSS had apologized to the respected author after determining that his detention was unwarranted.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the DSS regarding the circumstances surrounding Ndibe’s latest detention. The development has raised renewed concerns about the treatment of government critics and the continued use of security watchlists affecting returning Nigerians.
Hegseth made the disclosure during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, where he said the directive was issued about a year ago after Trump became aware of attacks against Christians in Nigeria.
He explained that the operation involved behind-the-scenes coordination and deployment of military assets, adding that intelligence gathered during the mission contributed to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command, during a joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.
According to him, the operation yielded significant results in the fight against terrorism in the region.
“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he stated.
Hegseth added that working on the Intel gathered, they have killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria.
The U.S. defence chief described the operation as part of the Trump administration’s broader commitment to counterterrorism efforts and the protection of vulnerable communities.
“So there are a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the President empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth stated.
ISIS second in command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed in a coordinated U.S.-Nigeria military operation in northeast Nigeria earlier this month.
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