A report by SBM Intelligence in late May has revealed that a total of 776 people were killed and over N7.6 trillion lost since 2021 in South-East of Nigeria during sit-at-home enforced by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
.Penpushing reports that the report, titled ‘Four Years of Disruption’,chronicled how the sit-at-home initially intended to demand the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, evolved into a prolonged economic and humanitarian crisis characterised by violence, fear, and collapsed livelihoods.
“The sit-at-home protests, enforced by IPOB since 2021, have transformed from a symbolic act of dissent into a protracted crisis with devastating socioeconomic and security consequences for Southeast Nigeria’, the report stated.
“The region has suffered staggering losses, including N7.6 trillion in economic damage, 776 fatalities, and systemic disruptions to education, governance, and livelihoods,” the report added.
Penpushing further reports that the SMB explained that, apart from large scale businesses, the illegal order forced micro, small, and medium-sized businesses to shut down, noting that the sit-at-home has also crippled indigenous manufacturing, fabrication, and agro-allied industries in the region, leading to “significant economic repercussions.”
The report emphasized that micro-businesses have been particularly hard-hit, with annual losses reported at approximately 4.6 trillion due to the recurring sit-at-home days, adding that the transportation sector has been heavily affected with transporters losing N10 to N13 billion daily during the protests as of 2022.
Penpushing also reports that the intelligence firm said the situation has deepened poverty in the South-east with 71 percent of respondents reporting income drops, and based on state by state cases, Imo and Anambra State remain the worst hit by the outlaw group-linked violence in the South-East with 332 and 202 deaths respectively in four years, while Ebonyi state, has recorded the lowest number of attacks in the region within the period.
“This sustained emergency demands urgent, coordinated action to prevent further escalation and immense human cost’, the report stated.
Penpushing reports that the intelligence firm said although the sit-at-home was rooted in legitimate grievances over marginalisation and the detention of Kanu, the movement was hijacked by violence, criminality, and internal fragmentation, eroding public support and deepening instability.
The report added that the establishment and increased involvement of the Eastern Security Network, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) militant wing, resulted in the violent and coercive enforcement of the illegal order,pointing out that the fragmentation of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the establishment of Biafra Liberation Army by a controversial Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, also contributed to the violence in the region.
“Additionally, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons among nonstate actors in the region exacerbated the security situation.The availability of these weapons facilitated more frequent and deadly attacks on both security personnel and civilians. These developments have exacerbated the security crisis in the region, making it a hotbed of militant activity, violence, and instability”, the report said
Penpushing further reports that the SMB said to address the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) -linked violence in the South-East, a combination of different measures should be adopted, explaining that the approaches, include security reform, emergency funds for traders and transporters, and introduction of weekend catch-up programmes in educational institutions to mitigate learning gaps.
The intelligence firm added that others are engaging with human rights groups, international communities and Finnish authorities to stop Ekpa’s inflammatory broadcasts and funding streams even if he is released from prison.
“The sit-at-home crisis is a symptom of deeper dysfunction, and a lasting solution requires addressing Igbo marginalisation through constitutional reforms, demilitarising the Southeast, and rebuilding trust between communities and the state,” it adadded
Penpushing also reports that Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-East and some parts of the South-South Nigeria.
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