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Ohanaeze Demands Action as FG Accused of Excluding Igbo Militants from Amnesty Programme
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has strongly criticised the Federal Government over what it described as the “deliberate exclusion” of repented Igbo militants from the national amnesty and rehabilitation programme.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the group called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address the omission of over 1,400 alleged former Biafran agitators from the ongoing De-Radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) initiative under Operation Safe Corridor.
Ohanaeze expressed concern that while about 700 repentant members of insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have reportedly benefited from the programme, no Igbo ex-combatants have been included since its inception.
The group described the situation as “unjustifiable and offensive,” warning that it could deepen regional tensions and undermine national unity.
According to the statement signed by Deputy President General Okechukwu Isiguzoro and National Spokesman Thompson Ohia, over 2,600 ex-combatants have passed through the rehabilitation programme, yet none are from the Southeast.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is compelled to raise an urgent objection to the unjustifiable exclusion of 1,443 repented former Biafran agitators from the Federal Government’s amnesty programme,” the statement read.
The group acknowledged the government’s efforts to rehabilitate former insurgents but questioned what it termed a “glaring disparity” in the application of the policy.
It further urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to intervene and ensure that Igbo militants are incorporated into future phases of the programme.
Ohanaeze argued that excluding the Southeast from such initiatives could be counterproductive, stressing that inclusive reconciliation efforts are essential for long-term peace and stability.
The organisation also called for broader amnesty considerations to include individuals it described as “prisoners of conscience,” including Nnamdi Kanu.
It maintained that integrating repented agitators from Igbo-speaking regions including parts of Delta and Rivers states would help address lingering insecurity and foster national cohesion.
The Federal Government has yet to officially respond to the claims as of press time.
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