Ex-Imo attorney-general speaks on alleged sponsorship of terrorist group in South-east

A former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo State, Cyprian Akaolisa, has denied an allegation that he has been sponsoring activities of a terror kingpin in Nigeria’s South-east.

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Mr Akaolisa served as the attorney-general of Imo State from June 2020 to May 2025 before Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma sacked him.

Mr Uzodimma did not give a reason for the removal of the former commissioner.

The allegation

A member of the Biafra Liberation Army simply known as Angel Makeup, in a viral video on 19 August, alleged that Mr Akaolisa was one of the prominent people funding the group to tackle insecurity in the Orsu and Orlu Local Government Areas of Imo State.

The terror kingpin is a commander of the Biafra Liberation Army, which was established by Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra agitator and leader of Autopilot, a faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Ekpa is facing a terrorism trial in Finland.

In the clip posted on the X, Angel Makeup claimed Mr Akaolisa and “other influential people” in Orlu and Orsu council area of the state as well as in neighbouring Orsumoghu Community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, have been supporting his group’s operations in the South-east.

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Apart from Mr Akaolisa, the terrorist mentioned the names of other unknown people who he claimed sought the help of the group to tackle insecurity in the areas in recent years.

“We did a perfect job, but instead of them to show gratitude, they decided to turn against us as a result of their political interests,” he said.

‘It’s demonic, defamatory’

Mr Akaolisa, in a statement obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, described the allegation as “demonic, ill-inspired, red, and intentionally defamatory of his character.”

The former commissioner said the campaign of calumny was a continued project of the separatists to damage his reputation because of his steadfast support for the administration of Mr Uzodimma.

He said the evil orchestration by separatists began in 2020 after he granted an interview in which he vowed to prosecute members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) who were responsible for the killing of police operatives and unarmed civilians in Orlu Zone.

ESN is the militant wing of IPOB, which is seeking secession of the South-east and some parts of the South-south from Nigeria.

Mr Akaolisa said he also publicly endorsed the invitation of Nigeria’s security operatives by the state government to “flush out” the ESN fighters from the zone.

The former commissioner said that after he endorsed the state government’s invitation of Nigeria’s security operatives, he became the target of attacks from ESN fighters, one of which was the razing of his private residence and his father’s property in Orsu.

He said the present “smear campaign” against him was not surprising to him, as it was aimed at tarnishing the image of some leaders who had been unrelenting in the fight against insecurity in Orsu.

The former attorney-general said that indigenes of Orsu did not at any time invite IPOB or ESN to protect them from Fulani herders, stressing that Orsu had not seen any Fulani herders in their midst.

“The advent of ESN has heightened kidnapping, murder, cannibalism, and occultism in Igboland,” he said.

Mr Akaolisa lauded Governor Uzodimma for his commitment to defending Imo people from the “nefarious” activities of the vandals masquerading as “angels of liberation.”

Increased attacks in Southeast

Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

Imo and Anambra states are the most affected by the insecurity in the South-east.

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Hundreds of persons have been killed or abducted and several others injured in some of such attacks in the region.

PREMIUM TIMES, on Tuesday, reported how another terror kingpin in Imo State shot dead three of his fighters, whom he accused of using his rifles to rob people.

Although IPOB, under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, has denied its involvement, the Nigerian government has repeatedly accused it of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region.