A legal advisor to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged the Nigerian government to establish a designated “sovereign safe zone” for Christians, citing a recent deadly attack in Jos, Plateau State, as a critical catalyst for the proposal.
Aloy Ejimakor, who serves as a consultant to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, specifically referenced the Palm Sunday violence in Jos, which local reports attributed to Islamist assailants. He stated the incident underscores the necessity for a permanent resolution to the persistent violence targeting Christian communities across Nigeria.
“The #PalmSunday massacre of Christians in #JosNigeria (by Islamists) underscores the urgency of creating a ‘sovereign safe zone’ for Christians in Nigeria,” Ejimakor said in a statement. He argued that such a zone would be the only viable, lasting solution to what he described as relentless terrorism that has caused extensive casualties among Nigerian Christians.
Ejimakor connected the current proposal to longstanding positions held by various Biafran separatist groups, who have historically advocated for self-determination as a protective measure for the Igbo ethnic group, a majority of whom are Christian. He alleged that instead of pursuing such a solution, the Nigerian government has focused on detaining Kanu, who has been in state custody since his controversial rendition from Kenya in 2021.
“It’s on record that this is the solution the #Biafrans had long suggested but instead of considering it, the Government of Nigeria resorted to renditioning & imprisoning Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for life,” he added.
The consultant then extended his appeal to the international community, requesting diplomatic pressure on Abuja. He called for global leaders to intervene by securing Kanu’s release and initiating concrete steps toward his proposed safe zone framework.
“It has now become more urgent & compelling for comity of nations & world leaders… to prevail on the Nigerian government to free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and initiate prompt steps towards achieving a permanent solution,” the statement concluded.
The proposal arrives amidst renewed national debate over security and federal protection. While the Nigerian government maintains it is combating armed groups in central and northern regions, critics argue that state security forces are often inadequate or complicit in ethnoreligious violence, leaving communities vulnerable. Ejimakor’s suggestion introduces a drastic, externally-focused dimension to these domestic security concerns, linking the immediate plight of Christians directly to the broader, unresolved political status of Biafra.
