Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on Ndigbo living both within and outside Nigeria to return home in large numbers for the upcoming Christmas celebrations, assuring that security across the South-East has significantly improved.
In a statement issued on Sunday, December 7, 2025, and signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB said its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), alongside volunteers from the group, would guarantee the safety of residents and visitors throughout the yuletide season.
According to the statement, the South-East remains “Nigeria’s most tranquil area”, despite what IPOB described as “sponsored instability” over the past four years.
The group insisted that attempts by unnamed political actors and criminal networks to instill fear had failed.
“Despite all the antics and deadly deeds of hyenas and jackals, the landowners remain present to defend and hold onto their territory,” the statement read. “The Eastern region has consistently been secure and will always remain secure since Ndigbo are inherently peaceful. Thus, we urge Ndigbo and their friends wishing to visit Ala Igbo (Igboland, South-East) this Christmas to return home and experience the warmth of the Land of the Rising Sun.”
IPOB further criticised what it called “funded and exaggerated media efforts” portraying the region as unsafe.
While acknowledging that insecurity exists in parts of the South-East, the group insisted the situation is far better compared to other parts of Nigeria.
The organisation also dismissed online reports about a purported kidnapping near Ngor Okpala along the Owerri–Aba Expressway, describing the footage circulating on social media as an old video. “The mentioned kidnapping event was false. The footage of the abduction incident was an old clip that reappeared on social media,” the statement clarified.
The group added that ESN operatives frequently carry out security operations quietly and warned that the network has no official social media accounts.
“The absence of continuous killings and abductions in the Eastern region serves as evidence that there are Lions guarding the Land,” IPOB said. It further cited an Igbo proverb: “Onye si na Osimmiri atala, ya tinye ukwu ya” (“whoever claims a river is dry should place their feet in it”).
IPOB accused both the Nigerian government and some “self-serving Igbo politicians” of failed attempts to dismantle the organisation and its security network.
The statement described the movement for Biafra restoration as a “sacred initiative” that cannot be suppressed.
In its Christmas message, IPOB encouraged the people of the South-East to return home with confidence and even consider bringing investments into the region.
“Do not allow anyone or the government to use fear tactics to make you abandon Biafra Land,” the statement concluded, wishing travelers a safe journey by land, sea, and air.
