Cults, Not IPOB, Driving South-east Insecurity — Odinkalu

Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has identified politically sponsored cult groups as the major drivers of insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East region, rather than the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Odinkalu acknowledged that IPOB contributes to insecurity in the region but said it was “ridiculous” to blame the group for every violent incident.

“The biggest single issue, in security terms, confronting the South-East, in my estimation, based on the work I have done on this, is, I regret to disappoint you, not IPOB, it is one word — cults, financed by politicians,” he said.

Odinkalu lamented that the problem of cultism in the South-East has reached alarming levels, warning that the activities of these groups, allegedly sponsored and protected by politicians, have worsened the region’s security challenges.

“The cults are the biggest single issue, and you don’t have a clue how terrible the problem of cults in the South-East is at this particular time,” he added.

The former NHRC chairman noted that while there may be some link between IPOB and cult groups, the scale of cult-related violence and political sponsorship far outweighs separatist activities in the region.

He further argued that IPOB’s influence has been exaggerated, adding that the group’s operations are limited and unsustainable in some communities across the South-East.

“Unquestionably, there is an IPOB issue, but the IPOB issue is overblown,” he said.

Odinkalu’s comments come amid renewed attacks on security posts, police officers, and residents in various parts of the region — incidents often blamed on IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

He urged security agencies and policymakers to direct more attention toward addressing politically motivated violence and the proliferation of cult groups, which he described as the “biggest single security challenge” facing the South-East at present.