Ohanaeze Warns Southeast Governors Against Spread of Benue-Style Killings
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has issued a stern warning to governors in Nigeria’s Southeast region, urging them to act decisively to prevent a spillover of the violent attacks witnessed in Benue State into their territories.
The warning, issued on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, by the Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, comes amid growing concerns over rising insecurity and reports of armed infiltrators entering communities in parts of the Southeast.
Isiguzoro expressed alarm at the pattern of killings and displacement ongoing in Benue State and cautioned that similar violence may erupt in the Southeast if swift action is not taken. He called on Southeast governors to rise to the occasion by strengthening community vigilance and deploying proactive security measures.
“We are alerting the Southeast governors to the grave danger of inaction. What is happening in Benue with organized violence and mass displacement must not be allowed to find footing in Igboland,” Isiguzoro said.
He further warned that failure to act could embolden criminal elements already migrating into the region under the guise of herders or displaced persons.
According to him, intelligence reports indicate a growing presence of armed groups in some rural communities in Ebonyi, Enugu, and parts of Anambra.
Ohanaeze demanded that state governments, in collaboration with local communities, reinforce neighborhood watch structures and ensure that suspicious movements are reported and checked.
“We are not against lawful settlers or herders. But the Southeast must never become a haven for armed non-state actors. Our people have suffered enough.
The lessons from Benue must guide our preparedness,” the statement added.
The group also appealed to the federal government to support efforts by state authorities in containing threats to lives and property, emphasizing the need for national security agencies to collaborate with local enforcement to prevent conflict escalation.
As of press time, none of the governors in the Southeast has formally responded to the statement, but sources within some state governments hinted at closed-door security meetings being held in response to the warning.
Ohanaeze’s call adds to the growing national discourse on farmer-herder clashes, rural insecurity, and the complex challenge of managing internal migration driven by violence in other regions.
