The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Thursday faulted Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo over his recent comments that 99.9% of terrorists operating in the Southeast are of Igbo ethnicity.

In a strongly worded statement issued in Abakaliki, the National Deputy Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, described the governor’s remarks as “baseless, unfounded, and a gross misrepresentation of the facts.”

Governor Soludo, during recent Igbo USA Town-Hall Meetings, reportedly made remarks suggesting that insecurity in the region was largely driven by Igbos themselves—a position Ohanaeze says misrepresents the reality and undermines investor confidence in the region.

“This statement serves not only as a rebuttal to Governor Soludo’s inaccuracies but also as a clarion call for unity, action, and accountability,” said Isiguzoro. “The truth is that the overwhelming majority of criminal activities in the Southeast are perpetrated by non-Igbo elements, particularly Fulani militias and other external actors.”

Isiguzoro said the situation reflects a deeper leadership failure among Southeast governors, who he accused of not fulfilling their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.

“Instead of confronting these pressing security challenges, some leaders resort to scapegoating the same people they swore to protect, thereby exposing their own inadequacies,” he added.

Ohanaeze warned that recent intelligence reports have raised concerns about possible attacks in the region by external militias, particularly following the mass killings in Benue State by suspected Fulani militants.

“These armed groups are reportedly planning coordinated assaults in Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, and Abia States, targeting civilians in schools, markets, and public spaces,” Isiguzoro warned.

He called for the immediate establishment of local government vigilante groups across the Southeast, urging state governors to act swiftly to counter the looming threats.

Ohanaeze also reminded the governors of their July 2, 2024, meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, where they pledged to engage with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu—a promise the group says remains unfulfilled.

“The continued delay in forming a regional security outfit and the lack of progress on Kanu’s release show a disturbing pattern of inaction,” the statement added.

Ohanaeze declared that it would no longer tolerate what it called “excuses and blame-shifting,” warning that any governor who fails to protect their constituents would be held accountable at the ballot box.

“The Southeast is under siege—not by 99.9% of Igbo youths as falsely claimed, but by external militias. Enough is enough. We demand action, not rhetoric,” the group said.