The Nigerian army announced on Friday that an ambush on a checkpoint in the southeast resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and six civilians. The clash occurred during an attack by separatists.
The primary separatist group, however, denied any involvement in the attack, which took place on Thursday as the region marked the anniversary of the Biafra war and famine, which claimed over a million lives half a century ago.
According to the army, the armed wing of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement “sprang a surprise attack” near Aba in Abia State.
“The attack sadly took the lives of five personnel,” stated army spokesman Major General Edward Buba. He later added, “six civilians were killed in the crossfire.”
In response, the army pledged a fierce retaliation against the group.
IPOB, advocating for a separate state for the ethnic Igbo people in southeast Nigeria, frequently denies responsibility for such attacks. The group claims that criminal gangs and political adversaries often perpetrate violence under its name.
On Biafra Day, IPOB had issued a strict stay-at-home order and denied launching any attacks during this period of mourning. “We condemn the attack on military personnel in Aba,” said IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful, attributing the violence to politically motivated “criminals.”
Separatism remains a highly sensitive issue in Nigeria, which experienced a three-year civil war beginning in 1967 after Igbo army officers declared the independent state of Biafra.
The conflict resulted in over a million deaths, predominantly among the Igbo, due to war, famine, and disease.
The Nigerian government has designated IPOB as a terrorist organization, accusing it of inciting ethnic tensions and alleging genocide against the Igbo. In recent years, gunmen have targeted police, soldiers, and electoral offices in the southeast, with authorities attributing these attacks to IPOB’s Eastern Security Network paramilitary wing.
