Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and a prominent human rights lawyer, has stated that the proscription of the globally peaceful movement in 2017 marked the onset of a relentless cycle of mistrust, violence, and alienation in Nigeria’s South East region.
In his Saturday musing titled “Boko Haram: An Invented Name and the Unlearned Lessons of History,” Ejiofor argued that instead of addressing the root causes of unrest, the Nigerian government responded with indiscriminate suppression. This approach, he contends, inadvertently legitimized the use of force where empathy and dialogue were critically needed.
“The tragic outcome,has been the emergence of new, dangerous actors who have distorted the original movement into criminal opportunism. These individuals neither uphold the ideals nor the moral compass of the initial peaceful struggle, rather, they are products of the vacuum left by the absence of meaningful engagement.”Ejiofor explained.
He stated that it is never too late to return to the negotiating table.
Ejiofor urged the Federal Government to summon the courage to re-engage with all stakeholders to sift the genuine aspirations from criminal elements, rebuild trust, and heal the disillusionment currently prevailing in the South East.
Full statement reads:
SATURDAY MUSING
“BOKO HARAM: AN INVENTED NAME AND THE UNLEARNED LESSONS OF HISTORY”
Yesterday in Abuja, Nigerians from all walks of life gathered to celebrate a dual occasion; the 60th birthday and public presentation of a new book authored by the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (Rtd). The event, graced by former Heads of State, top military officers, statesmen, diplomats, and clergy, provided not only a moment for national reflection but also for an honest introspection on the nature of conflict, identity, and the Nigerian experiment itself.
The highlight of the ceremony came during the book review delivered by the ever-erudite Rt. Rev. Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese. In his characteristically compelling tone, Bishop Kukah interrogated the very genesis of the term “Boko Haram”, describing it as an invented name that over time acquired a fearful life of its own. He reflected that many of the vulnerable individuals conscripted into that misguided movement were often driven not by deep understanding of its ideology, but by persuasion, manipulation, and desperation.
As Bishop Kukah aptly noted, the label “Boko Haram” became more than a name; it became a symbol of fear and a psychological weapon that emboldened the perpetrators and confounded the nation. His reflections struck a deep chord in a country still grappling with multiple layers of unrest, insecurity, and disaffection.
Further interventions came from eminent Nigerians, including former Presidents, who highlighted both internal sabotage and external influence as factors sustaining insurgency in Nigeria. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, in his characteristically candid manner, recounted how intelligence during his administration revealed shocking details: insurgents often wielded weapons more sophisticated than those in the hands of government troops. He contrasted this experience with his approach to the Niger Delta agitation, recalling how he personally led dialogues that resulted in disarmament, reintegration, and a lasting peace; proof that engagement, not force, can transform national crises.
Irabor’s book, by every measure, appears to be a sober chronicle of Nigeria’s journey through insecurity, institutional fragility, and the quest for enduring peace. It invites readers to confront the truths we have often ignored: that conflicts fester not merely because of the weapons used, but because of the voices left unheard.
When one juxtaposes these reflections with events that unfolded between 2015 and 2017, a haunting parallel emerges. During that period, the Nigerian State was confronted not by armed insurgents, but by thousands of young men and women from the South-East who marched peacefully, calling attention to what they perceived as long-standing structural and political marginalization. Rather than opening channels of dialogue, the state resorted to heavy-handed responses that left deep scars on the collective psyche of a region and its people.
History will recall that the proscription of the global peaceful movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in 2017, carried out under a cloud of midnight urgency, marked the beginning of an unending cycle of mistrust, violence, and alienation. Instead of addressing the underlying grievances, the situation was met with a blanket suppression that inadvertently legitimized the use of force where empathy was needed.
The result, tragically, is the emergence of new and dangerous elements; misguided elements who have transformed it into criminal opportunism. These actors neither share the ideals nor the moral compass of the earlier movement; they are the by-products of a vacuum created by the absence of structured engagement.
The truth remains that no nation ever silenced a cry for justice through the barrel of a gun. Sustainable peace is achieved only through honest dialogue, empathy, and a deliberate effort to separate legitimate grievances from acts of opportunism.
As Bishop Kukah so insightfully observed, names and labels often take on lives of their own; they shape perception, dictate response, and, when mishandled, can plunge societies into deeper chaos. Nigeria’s future peace therefore lies not in the proliferation of such labels- “terrorists,” “agitators,” “secessionists”, but in our collective ability to listen beyond them, to understand the pains and aspirations behind those names, and to build a nation that heals rather than hurts.
It is never too late to return to the table of dialogue. The Federal Government must summon the courage to re-engage, to sift the wheat from the chaff, to distinguish genuine aspirations from criminality, and to restore trust where disillusionment now reigns.
For in the final analysis, a nation that refuses to talk to its children will one day be compelled to negotiate with their ghosts.
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