A report by SB Morgen Intelligence has identified Imo and Anambra as the states most severely affected by violent activities linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an outlawed separatist group that has been agitating for the independence of southeastern and parts of south-southern Nigeria since 2021.
The group’s Monday sit-at-home directive, introduced in August 2021 following the arrest of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, brought the region’s economy to a near standstill, turning once-bustling cities into ghost towns.
This order, according to analysts, has become a tool for enforcement through violence, looting, arson, targeted assassinations, and intimidation.
In a four-year span, southeastern Nigeria has witnessed 332 violent incidents resulting in 776 deaths, with Imo and Anambra accounting for the majority of these figures.
“Southeast Nigeria faces a deepening security crisis with a sharp five-year rise in violence: 332 attacks and 776 deaths (2021-2025). Imo is the epicentre (130 incidents, 332 deaths), followed by Anambra (94 incidents, 202 deaths),” the SB Morgen report stated.
The data further reveals that violence intensified in 2024, with 133 recorded incidents and 313 deaths, a threefold rise compared to 2023.
While no state in the region is untouched, Imo and Anambra have borne the brunt, largely due to heightened IPOB/ESN activity and forceful government countermeasures.
“Violence surged in 2024 (133 incidents, 313 deaths), a threefold increase from 2023. No state is spared, but Imo and Anambra are worst hit, linked to IPOB/ESN activity and state responses,” the report added.
Imo’s vulnerability, according to analysts, is deeply rooted in its political instability and military operations like the infamous Operation Python Dance.
These factors have allegedly fostered distrust between the state and its citizens, pushing many to sympathize with the separatist cause.
The report also linked Anambra’s challenges to its economic and political prominence in the southeast.
As a major commercial center with strong pro-Biafra sentiment and urban development, the state provides a fertile ground for violent mobilization.
“Additionally, both states’ proximity to rural areas and porous boundaries make them vulnerable to infiltration by militants, while the fragmented security apparatus further exacerbates vulnerabilities,” the study noted.
Ebonyi, in contrast, has experienced significantly fewer violent events, recording just 30 incidents and 61 deaths during the same period.
Analysts attribute this relative calm to the tough security policies implemented by the state’s leadership.
“This is significantly lower compared to the other states, indicating that Ebonyi has been relatively less affected by the violence sweeping through the region.”
Earlier in April, there were signs of improvement in Enugu and other southeastern states, where the notorious sit-at-home order appears to be gradually losing its grip.
