The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has marked the fifth anniversary of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), praising the group for its role in reducing attacks on rural communities and farmlands across Nigeria’s South-East.

In a statement by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, the separatist group said ESN was established on December 12, 2020, by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to fill what it described as a “grave security vacuum” in Biafran territories. According to IPOB, ESN operates as a community-based vigilante force, protecting villages from armed groups, herders, and extremist networks that previously targeted farmers and residents.

IPOB described ESN operatives as volunteers who sacrificed personal careers and comforts to secure their communities. The statement also claimed that the group has faced sustained military operations, media attacks, and internal sabotage, while some operatives have been killed or abducted, and their families targeted. Despite these challenges, IPOB insisted ESN’s mission of defending Biafraland remains steadfast.

“The intervention of ESN reversed this descent into lawlessness. Attacks have reduced significantly, and farmers today return to their lands with renewed confidence,” the statement said.

IPOB urged South-East residents to continue supporting ESN through vigilance and intelligence sharing, while calling on the United States and the international community to address extremist groups operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Ansaru.

“Once again, we congratulate the Eastern Security Network on five years of steadfast service to our people and our land,” the IPOB statement concluded.