Ebonyi Massacre Sparks Outrage: Pro-Biafra Group Declares Self-Defense Strategy

By Achimi Muktar

The gruesome killing of over 20 villagers in Nkalaha, Ebonyi State, has sent shockwaves across the Southeast, fueling tensions and drawing harsh criticisms against the state government. Now, a pro-Biafra separatist group led by Simon Ekpa has vowed to take matters into its own hands, declaring that self-defense is the only option left.

The attack, which left dozens dead and many more injured, has been widely condemned, with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council accusing Governor Francis Nwifuru of failing to protect his people. The youth group expressed outrage that while locals blamed herdsmen for the killings, Governor Nwifuru downplayed the incident by referring to the perpetrators merely as “strangers.”

The massacre has reignited the debate over security in the Southeast, with growing frustration over the Nigerian government’s handling of violent attacks in the region.

In response to the bloodshed, Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, who identifies as Deputy Prime Minister of the United States of Biafra (USB), declared that their movement has officially embraced armed self-defense to protect their people.

“During the just-concluded 12th session of the USB Cabinet meeting, the following bills were proposed by the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of the Prime Minister, voted for, and passed into law by the Cabinet members:

The right to bear arms and self-defense.

The right of the people to keep and bear arms for defending themselves and the state shall not be infringed.

US Biafra must acquire means to locally manufacture weapons of a defensive nature to protect its people.”

This declaration signals a bold and controversial move, as Nigerian law strictly prohibits civilians from bearing arms, let alone engaging in unauthorized weapons manufacturing.

The separatist group’s stance comes at a time when reports from civil rights organization Intersociety claim that 180 people were killed in Southeast Nigeria between December 2024 and January 2025, allegedly by both security agencies and non-state actors. The Nigerian government has remained silent on the report, further fueling concerns of state-backed suppression in the region.

With security tensions at an all-time high, questions remain: Will this call for self-defense escalate tensions further? How will the Nigerian authorities respond to these growing demands for armed resistance?