The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma of allegedly exploiting the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to discredit Biafran agitators, demanding an independent international investigation into the incident and the alleged payment of ransom.
The group made the allegations in a statement issued on Saturday, October 10, 2026, by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful. It condemned the kidnapping of the corps members, who have since been rescued, while firmly denying any involvement in the incident.
IPOB described attempts to link it to the abduction along the Onitsha-Owerri axis as a “calculated falsehood meant to demonise our movement.”
The group alleged that the security situation in Imo State was being used for political purposes and called for a transparent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the abduction, the rescue operation and any financial transactions connected to the alleged ransom payments.
However, the allegations against Uzodimma were made by IPOB and were not independently established in the statement. No response from the Imo State Government was included in the report.
IPOB alleged that Governor Uzodimma was attempting to strengthen his political relevance within the administration of President Bola Tinubu by presenting himself as an indispensable security figure in the South-East.
The group also linked its allegations to reported political tensions involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, although it did not provide independent evidence establishing a connection between those tensions and the abduction.
Furthermore, IPOB claimed that the governor was positioning himself for the Senate presidency and alleged that some Igbo politicians were concerned that the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu could alter existing political calculations in the region.
The group did not provide independently verified evidence to substantiate these claims.
The Biafran separatist organisation also raised concerns about what it described as suspicious security gaps in parts of Imo State.
According to IPOB, military personnel had allegedly abandoned some strategic checkpoints, creating opportunities for armed groups to operate and carry out criminal activities.
The group claimed that such security gaps were being exploited by politically sponsored militias and other armed elements to stage attacks, abduct people and collect ransom, with the resulting violence subsequently attributed to IPOB.
These voids are systematically filled by politically sponsored militias and armed groups tasked with staging attacks, abductions, and extortion scheme ransom collections — all designed to be pinned on IPOB,” the group alleged.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the statement did not identify the individuals or organisations allegedly responsible for the activities described.
IPOB insisted that it should not be held responsible for criminal activities simply because of its campaign for Biafran self-determination.
The group specifically rejected any suggestion that it targeted corps members, students or other civilians, describing its stated objective as a peaceful campaign for self-determination through a referendum.
“IPOB does not target civilians, students, or NYSC members,” the statement said.
The organisation also accused unnamed criminal elements and alleged state-sponsored agents of taking advantage of its announced intention to boycott elections to engage in criminal activities while falsely associating the incidents with the movement.
IPOB said it would announce the specific methods for implementing its election boycott closer to the relevant period.
It further alleged that individuals who previously hijacked Monday sit-at-home exercises were now using the group’s election boycott position as a cover for criminality.
“Criminal elements and state-sponsored agents who previously hijacked Monday sit-at-homes are now using the cover of ‘IPOB said they will boycott’ to unleash criminality and frame our peaceful movement,” IPOB said.
The group maintained that its political objectives should not be used to justify automatically attributing unrelated criminal acts to its members.
The organisation called for an immediate, open and independent international investigation into the abduction of the NYSC members along the Onitsha-Owerri axis.
It urged investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, establish how the corps members were abducted and rescued, and determine whether any individuals or groups profited from the alleged ransom payments.
IPOB specifically demanded that investigators trace the financial transactions associated with the reported ransom to identify the recipients and establish whether the money was connected to any political or criminal interests.
The group argued that an independent investigation would help clarify the facts, establish accountability and prevent the incident from being used to discredit the Biafran self-determination campaign.
It also appealed to Nigerians and the international community not to accept allegations linking the movement to insecurity in the South-East without credible evidence.
We urge the public and the international community to look past the political theatre orchestrated from Owerri,” IPOB added.
The abduction of the NYSC members has renewed attention on security challenges along the Onitsha-Owerri corridor and the wider South-East region.
IPOB’s demands place the circumstances of the kidnapping, the rescue operation and the alleged ransom payments at the centre of a growing dispute over responsibility for insecurity in the region.
Nevertheless, the group’s accusations against Uzodimma and its claims of politically orchestrated attacks remain allegations requiring independent investigation.
A credible probe could help establish what happened, identify those responsible for the abduction and determine whether any criminal or political interests were involved.
For now, the central questions remain who carried out the abduction, whether ransom was paid, who received any such payment and whether evidence supports the competing claims surrounding the incident.
RapidoSpace News will continue to follow developments concerning the abduction, the government’s response and any official investigation into the incident.
