Maryland, USA – 14 July 2025 – The Concerned Citizens of Igbo Nation in Diaspora (CCIND), a US-based advocacy group, has issued an urgent open letter to the Igbo people, highlighting a surge in terrorist attacks and insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East region. The group warns of a deliberate plot to destabilise Igboland and calls for immediate proactive measures to protect lives and properties.
In the press release dated 14 July 2025, CCIND details recent violent incidents attributed to herdsmen terrorists, which have claimed lives and disrupted communities across Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, and Abia states. The group expresses grave concern over the deteriorating security situation, which they link to the extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from Kenya in June 2021.
Specific attacks cited include:
In Imo State, on the first day of June 2025, terrorists struck in Umuguma, Owerri West Local Government Area, killing a United States-based returnee and abducting his wife. Reports confirm gunmen killed the man and kidnapped his wife, with police pursuing the assailants.
In Enugu State, two separate herdsmen attacks occurred within a week. The latest on 9 July 2025 targeted Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, injuring several people in Mgbuji autonomous community. Another attack on 12 July 2025 in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area resulted in the deaths of eight passengers and a driver in a Toyota Sienna vehicle. Recent reports from June 2025 indicate similar violence in Eha-Amufu, where seven were killed and two went missing in herdsmen attacks.
CCIND also references historical incidents to underscore the ongoing threat, such as the 2022 kidnapping of the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Samuel Kanu-Uche, who was released after a N100 million ransom was paid. The group claims that since Kanu’s rendition, insecurity has reached its worst levels, with loss of lives and properties escalating.
The diaspora organisation criticises Nigerian government and security agencies for inaction, accusing politicians of paying lip service or undermining community efforts. They highlight the South-East’s vulnerability, noting that over 100 million naira in ransoms have been paid without significant government response.
Drawing inspiration from statements by retired Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma and the current Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, who have urged Nigerians to take proactive steps against insecurity. CCIND calls on Igbo leaders to organise associations of hunters and vigilantes to counter terrorism. They urge Igbo youths to rise, organise, and defend their homeland, emphasising that mere condemnation is insufficient.
“It is horrifying to realise that what started as a provocation… has snowballed into a national security crisis that has gone largely unchecked,” the statement reads. “The insecurity in the South-East highlights the fact that there is a deliberate plot to destabilise the South-East.”
