Allegations of Manufactured Division and Criminal Attribution Over the years, the Nigerian establishment—through what critics describe as a ...
Allegations of Manufactured Division and Criminal Attribution
Over the years, the Nigerian establishment—through what critics describe as a compliant media structure and heavy-handed security operations—has repeatedly attempted to malign, denigrate, demonize, and blackmail IPOB.
Yet, according to supporters of the movement, these efforts have yielded little or no success. They argue that IPOB’s strong and strategic presence on social media, once described by former Minister of Information Lai Mohammed as “Media Warriors”, has enabled the group to counter government narratives swiftly and consistently. Observers sympathetic to IPOB further claim that successive administrations have allegedly orchestrated what they term “false flag” operations designed to create the impression of internal divisions within the organization.
Among the groups cited are N-IPOB, Re-IPOB, Y-IPOB, T-IPOB, and other similarly named factions, which critics allege were created by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria. According to this perspective, these alleged splinter groups were established to demoralize IPOB members and associate IPOB with acts of violence and criminality.
It is further claimed that such groups have been used to commit crimes, including kidnappings, attacks on communities, enforcement of unauthorized sit-at-home orders, destruction of property, and other acts of violence, only for responsibility to be swiftly attributed to IPOB by security agencies. Supporters argue that the rapid attribution of these incidents suggests premeditation. In their view, the pattern reflects a deliberate strategy to frame IPOB and shape public perception.
They also allege that some of these activities involve collaboration between security operatives and armed groups operating under regional security arrangements such as Ebubeagu. Despite these allegations, critics of the government contend that efforts to link IPOB to such crimes have not succeeded in the court of public opinion, largely due to the movement’s active digital counter-narrative.
(To be continued)
Written by
Mmadụ Awụchukwu
For
Lagos State M
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