By Francis Ajuonuma
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has faulted a report by The New York Times alleging that an Igbo trader from Onitsha provided intelligence that informed United States airstrikes against terrorist elements in Sokoto State, describing the report as misleading and capable of fuelling ethnic tension.
The organisation said the report ethnicised Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations and wrongly suggested that the Igbo were involved in intelligence gathering for the United States, an allegation it described as false and dangerous.
In a statement by its Deputy President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and National Spokesman, Chief Chinyereze Ohia, Ohanaeze said the Igbo were neither intelligence assets nor participants in any United States-led military action against terrorist groups in Nigeria.
Ohanaeze stressed that counterterrorism cooperation remains a government-to-government engagement between Nigeria and the United States and warned that attributing security operations to ethnic groups exposes innocent citizens to reprisals.
The group said it supports international collaboration between the administration of Donald Trump and the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu in tackling terrorism, but cautioned against narratives that personalise or ethnicise such efforts.
According to Ohanaeze, portraying an Igbo civilian as a key intelligence source mirrors historical media framing that contributed to ethnic suspicion and violence in Nigeria, particularly during the political crises of the 1960s.
The organisation noted that concerns about insecurity and religious violence in Northern Nigeria have been raised by various civil society and faith-based organisations across ethnic lines, questioning why an Igbo individual was singled out in the report.
Ohanaeze said it was not opposed to United States lobbying activities or international advocacy relating to Nigeria’s security challenges, but insisted that reviving ethnic stereotypes under the guise of security reporting must be resisted.
The group called on The New York Times to retract the report and issue an apology, warning that such publications could heighten tension, especially in parts of the country where ethnic sensitivities remain high.
It also urged Igbo organisations and activists to exercise restraint in commenting on sensitive international security matters to prevent misinterpretation or further escalation.
