The Traffic

IPOB Reportedly Offers N1 Million Bounty on Security Officers in Southeast 

By Achimi Muktar

In a disturbing new development, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reportedly placed a ₦1 million bounty on each military or police officer successfully lured into a trap in Imo State and across the southeast region.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, IPOB—alongside its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN)—is deploying women and romantic enticements to bait security personnel into ambushes and assassinations.

A Dangerous Game of Deception

Intelligence reports suggest that this new strategy is IPOB’s retaliation against the Nigerian government following recent intensified military and police offensives targeting IPOB/ESN strongholds in the southeast.

The publication claims that IPOB/ESN operatives are now actively seeking to eliminate security personnel and destabilize government operations in the region.

Targeting the Families of Security Officers?

One particularly chilling case cited in the report details how IPOB/ESN members allegedly threatened a newly recruited police constable in Okigwe, Imo State.

“On February 12, at about 6:00 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Okigwe Division reported that the attackers abducted the officer’s parents and seized their motorcycle to pressure him into abandoning his assignment,” the report states.

“While the parents were later released, the motorcycle remains in the group’s custody.”

Security analysts fear that this tactic could escalate into a wider campaign of kidnappings and assassinations, with IPOB/ESN targeting officers at their homes or other vulnerable locations.

A Looming Security Crisis?

The intelligence assessment warns that if left unchecked, IPOB’s tactics of luring and eliminating security personnel could destabilize the southeast, creating a dangerous precedent for insurgent groups across the country.

“This development underscores the need for a coordinated security response to protect personnel serving in the southeast region,” the report concluded.

What Happens Next?

With these reports now circulating, the Nigerian government and security agencies will likely intensify efforts to counter IPOB’s evolving tactics.

But the question remains: Can they outmaneuver this new wave of insurgency before it spirals out of control?