Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has condemned the worsening insecurity in the South-East, describing it as a tragic desecration of Ala-Igbo, the ancestral homeland of the Igbo people.
In a deeply symbolic statement released on Saturday, Ejiofor lamented that “the once peaceful and industrious Igbo homeland has become a theatre of fear, bloodshed, and moral decay.”
“There comes a time when the earth itself stirs in remembrance, when the soil, long patient under the burden of human trespass, begins to whisper its own verdict,” he said.
“That time, it seems, has again arrived in Ala-Igbo.
“The Earth Remembers” — A Moral Warning
Ejiofor invoked Ala, the Mother Earth goddess in Igbo cosmology, as a living witness to the region’s moral collapse.
“Ala is not mere terrain; she is the conscience of the people, the silent ledger of truth, morality, and justice. The elders said, Ala na-echeta — the Earth remembers. She gives men long ropes for repentance, but never infinite ones,” he said.
He warned that those who have violated the sacred essence of the land — through killings, kidnappings, and extortion — would inevitably face divine retribution.
“Our Own Sons Have Desecrated the Land”
Ejiofor’s lament struck at the heart of a painful reality: that the violence plaguing the South-East is not driven by outsiders but by locals turned predators.
“Today, Ala-Igbo mourns her desecration, not merely by foreign invaders, but by her own sons turned vandals,” he said.
“Markets are deserted, schools are abandoned, and communities are gripped by fear.”
He described the region’s transformation from a place of commerce and culture to a wasteland of terror.
“The sacred soil that once bore the footprints of traders and farmers is now stained by the blood of the innocent,” Ejiofor said. “They kidnap for ransom, rape for pleasure, and kill for sport.”
On ‘Gentle Yahoo’ and the Folly of Arrogance
Ejiofor referenced the recent arrest of a notorious armed group leader known as “Gentle Yahoo,” describing him as a tragic example of hubris.
“He mistook bloodlust for bravery and imagined himself untouchable by both man and spirit,” Ejiofor said.
“But even the gods have their sense of humour. The same man who strutted as ‘lion of the East’ now whimpers in military custody—a proof that Ala is slow to anger, but swift to repay.”
History Repeating Itself
Drawing parallels to past Igbo tragedies such as the Biafran War, Ejiofor reflected on a cycle of self-inflicted wounds.
“From the pogroms of 1966 to the ashes of Biafra… we have seen this play before. The actors change, but the script remains the same: arrogance, bloodshed, and inevitable fall.”
He condemned those who weaponize the language of liberation while oppressing their own people.
“Some of these so-called warriors speak of freedom with mouths still dripping with the blood of their neighbours,” he said. “They seek redemption through ruin and call it revolution.”
A Call for Moral Rebirth
Ejiofor urged a return to conscience and truth as the only path to peace.
“To rebuild Ala-Igbo, we must first cleanse our hearts. No saviour armed with deceit will redeem us; no liberation founded on crime will prosper,” he said.
He closed his message with a tone of hope and faith in the endurance of Igbo civilization.
“Ala-Igbo di ile — the Earth of the Igbo endures. She will outlive false prophets, tyrants, kidnappers, and pretenders. Her justice may sleep, but it never dies.”
Summary
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Ifeanyi Ejiofor invokes Igbo spirituality to condemn insecurity in the South-East.
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Warns that “Ala—the Earth—remembers” every act of evil and will avenge the innocent.
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Cites recent arrests and past wars as lessons ignored by a generation losing its moral compass.
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Calls for spiritual renewal and truth as the foundation of peace.
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Reporting by Emman Tochi in Lagos, Nigeria.
