Joe Igbokwe blames Igbos for South-East insecurity, clears Fulani herdsmen

|By Adejumo Adekunle

…Exonerates Fulani herdsmen amid killings and kidnappings
…Anambra businessman murdered days after abduction

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has sparked outrage with claims that the worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s Southeast is fueled by indigenes and not Fulani herdsmen, as widely believed.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, Igbokwe asserted that members of the Igbo ethnic group are behind the killings and destruction in the region. He insisted that blaming Fulani herdsmen is a deliberate falsehood that must end.

“The blatant and pathological lies about the killings and destruction in the South East can no longer stand,” Igbokwe wrote. “It is Igbo killing Igbo, it is Igbo destroying Igboland and putting the blame on Hausa/Fulani herdsmen. This is not our culture. This is sad.”

His comments come at a time of heightened insecurity in the Southeast, particularly in Imo and Anambra states, where reports of abductions and killings continue to spread fear among residents.

In a tragic case that underscored Igbokwe’s claims, a popular Anambra-based businessman, Ifesinachi Onyekere, popularly known as “Fish Magnet,” was found dead on Wednesday. He had been abducted days earlier from his home in the Ezinifite community, Okpuno, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The murder of Onyekere adds to the growing list of victims in a region plagued by violence, with many blaming armed separatists and criminal gangs for the unrest. Despite frequent allegations against herdsmen, security analysts have noted that local actors are increasingly playing a central role in the crisis.

Authorities have yet to issue a formal response to Igbokwe’s comments, but his statement is expected to stir conversations around identity, accountability, and security in the region.