IPOB ‘places N1m bounty’ on security personnel in south-east

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reportedly placed a N1 million bounty on each military or police officer successfully “lured into a trap” in Imo state and across the south-east region.

Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, reports that the group, along with its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), is using women and romantic relationships to ensnare security personnel, making them vulnerable to ambush or assassination.

Makama said intelligence assessments suggest the strategy is a response to recent intensified military and police offensives against IPOB/ESN members in the south-east.

The group is allegedly seeking revenge against security forces and the Nigerian government.

Intelligence sources quoted in the report noted that IPOB/ESN members recently threatened a newly recruited police constable in Okigwe, Imo state.

“On February 12, at about 6:00 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Okigwe Division reported that the attackers abducted the officer’s parents and seized their motorcycle to pressure him into abandoning his assignment,” the report noted.

“While the parents were later released, the motorcycle remains in the group’s custody.”

Makama added that such tactics could escalate into a broader campaign of targeted kidnappings and assassinations of security personnel at their residences or other vulnerable locations.

“This development underscores the need for a coordinated security response to protect personnel serving in the south-east region,” the publication added.