The governors of the five South-East states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo — have come under fire following a damning report alleging complicity or negligence in the unchecked influx and settlement of killer herdsmen and jihadists in the region.
The alarm was raised by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) in a detailed and urgent report released on Monday. The organisation condemned the governors’ alleged issuance of land certificates and passive tolerance of what it described as an orchestrated occupation of the region by violent non-state actors.
According to Intersociety, “the governors must retrace their steps and take immediate, decisive actions to reverse what is clearly a creeping jihadist conquest of Igbo ancestral lands under the guise of pastoral settlement.” The organisation further warned that “the continued silence and inaction of the political leadership is tantamount to betrayal and abandonment of their people.”
The report, signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair of Intersociety, and other senior officials, provided a disturbing breakdown of over 950 infiltration sites spread across the South-East, now allegedly under the control or influence of armed herdsmen and jihadist cells.
State-by-State Breakdown of Infiltrated Areas
Enugu State leads the chart with 250 flashpoints across 90 communities in 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs), including Oji River, Awgu, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani, and Nkanu East and West.
Imo State follows closely with 230 locations in over 300 communities across 17 LGAs such as Owerri North/West, Ohaji/Egbema, Okigwe, Orlu, and Ideato North/South.
Abia State reportedly harbours 180 settlements across 260 communities in 14 LGAs including Aba North/South, Bende, Ohafia, Ukwa East/West, and Umuahia North/South.
Anambra State has 160 locations in 70 communities across 12 LGAs like Awka North/South, Orumba North/South, Ayamelum, Ogbaru, and Anambra East/West.
Ebonyi State, though with fewer locations, still faces a serious threat with 130 points of concern across 50 communities in 6 LGAs including Ishielu, Ivo, Izzi, and Onicha.
Governance Failure and Silencing of Religious Leaders
The group accused South-East governors of gross dereliction of duty, alleging that they have deliberately turned a blind eye to the genocidal activities of Fulani herdsmen in their respective states. According to the report, “political convenience and fear of reprisals from Abuja have kept the governors mute in the face of ethnic cleansing and land occupation.”
Intersociety also decried what it called the “emasculation of the Church,” claiming that many religious leaders have been co-opted by political actors to downplay or outright deny the severity of the crisis.
> “These religious figures are often compelled or incentivised by state governments to engage in public denials, misinformation, or misrepresentation of the reality on the ground,” the report stated.
Call to Action: Diaspora and Local Communities Urged to Mobilise
Intersociety called on the global Igbo diaspora — spread across over 90 countries — to hold their home-state governors accountable and demand transparency, justice, and immediate action.
The group also urged local communities already infiltrated by armed pastoralists to organise and reclaim their forests, farmlands, and rural settlements through legitimate, community-based defensive measures.
> “The South-East is on the brink,” said Umeagbalasi. “The time for polite diplomacy has passed. What is unfolding is a slow-motion invasion — and only a united, urgent, and decisive response can stop it.”
Grave Warnings and Final Demands
The report concluded with an emphatic warning that the security and survival of the South-East region are under unprecedented threat. If left unchecked, the current trend could spiral into full-scale conflict, land dispossession, and cultural extinction.
Intersociety demanded:
Immediate revocation of all land grants or settlements awarded to suspected herdsmen or jihadist-linked groups.
Deployment of community-based forest surveillance and defense systems.
Public declarations by state governors rejecting land occupation by non-indigenous militant settlers.
Federal government scrutiny into the alleged systematic expansion of Fulani herder settlements across the region.
> “This is not just a security crisis — it is an existential one,” Umeagbalasi declared. “Silence and inaction are no longer options.”
This report from Intersociety may serve as a pivotal moment in the intensifying debate over indigenous land rights, national security, and the political responsibility of South-East leaders in the face of internal colonisation. Whether the governors will respond or remain silent remains to be seen.
PIONEER NEWS 