Cults Financed by Politicians, Not IPOB Driving Insecurity in South-East says Odinkalu

Human rights lawyer and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, says cult groups funded by politicians are the biggest security threat facing Nigeria’s South-East region.

Speaking in a televised interview, Professor Odinkalu said it was misleading to attribute all cases of violence in the region to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. He described the assumption as “ridiculous,” insisting that cult-related violence has become a major problem.

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Odinkalu noted that while separatist agitations play a role in the unrest, the impact of politically sponsored cult groups is far more significant and often overlooked. He also said claims linking every act of insecurity to IPOB were “overblown.”

The South-East has witnessed a wave of attacks in recent years, with gunmen targeting security formations and civilians across the region. Authorities have repeatedly blamed IPOB and its armed wing, but Odinkalu says the issue is more complex than that.