By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has congratulated the men and women of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) on the occasion of their 5th anniversary.

The group in a statement by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful described ESN courage and sacrifice as a proof that organized violence, extremism, and predatory criminality can be resisted when leadership is sincere and accountable.

IPOB explained that the Eastern Security Network was established by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on December 12 2020 as a community-based vigilante force to confront the grave security vacuum that had left Biafraland exposed to marauding armed groups—terror herdsmen from the Sahelian corridor and allied religious extremists—who for years operated with impunity.

The statement reads in part: "ESN is composed of disciplined IPOB volunteers who willingly abandoned personal comfort and careers to defend their ancestral land.

"Before ESN’s formation, many Biafran communities lived under siege. Farms were destroyed, women violated, villages displaced, and lives taken without consequence—patterns now tragically familiar across parts of the Middle Belt.

"While threats persist, it is undeniable that attacks have reduced significantly, and farmers today return to their lands with renewed confidence. This restored sense of security is a direct result of ESN’s vigilance and sacrifice.

"Despite sustained propaganda, intimidation, and coordinated assaults, ESN operatives have remained resolute. They have endured unprovoked attacks, media demonization, and sabotage—often aided by desperate local collaborators covetous of Biafraland’s forests and farmlands.

"These individuals, having aligned with violent intruders and their enablers, sought to smear ESN’s image but failed. Our people can clearly distinguish their defenders from those intent on weakening communal cohesion.

"Some ESN operatives have been abducted, their families targeted, and others have paid the ultimate price in defence of our homeland. Yet, the mission has not wavered: not an inch of Biafra land shall be occupied or overrun.

"The IPOB family worldwide salutes the courage, discipline, and resilience of ESN operatives who continue to secure our forests and rural communities under extreme conditions."

It stressed that with limited resources and voluntary contributions from IPOB members globally, ESN has disrupted, dismantled, and contained armed threats that once terrorized the land, hence, demonstrating what is possible when communities defend themselves with purpose.

IPOB called on all Biafrans to continue supporting ESN through vigilance, intelligence sharing, and cooperation.

It also urged the United States Government and the international community to recognize and confront the broader threat posed by jihadist and extremist networks operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru, Lakurawa, and allied armed groups.

According to the group, supporting genuine community-based security efforts like ESN is essential to restoring stability and protecting vulnerable populations.

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