Why Igbo Youths Avoid Nigerian Army Recruitment — IPOB Counsel

• Aloy Ejimakor has explained why many igbo youths continue to avoid joining the Nigerian Army.

Counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has attributed the low enlistment of South-East youths into the Nigerian Army to deep-seated distrust of the military rather than a lack of courage or patriotism.

Ejimakor made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday while reacting to comments by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, who recently expressed concern over the consistently low number of recruits from the South-East during a passing-out parade at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State.

‘Not a lack of courage’

According to Ejimakor, many young people from the South-East deliberately avoid military service because they believe the armed forces have historically treated Ndigbo unfairly.

“The reluctance of Igbo youths to enlist in the Nigerian armed forces is not a deficit of valour, but a calculated refusal to serve an institution they deeply mistrust,” he said.

He argued that the military’s leadership structure is perceived as ethnically imbalanced and claimed that security forces have repeatedly been deployed against communities in the South-East during periods of unrest.

Cites historical and recent incidents

Ejimakor referenced the killings of Igbos in Northern Nigeria in 1967, describing the events as an enduring wound that has never fully healed.

He also cited more recent incidents involving security operations in Nkpor, Aba Prayer Ground, Obigbo, and Port Harcourt, claiming they have reinforced the distrust many South-East youths feel toward the military.

Raises concerns over ex-Boko Haram fighters

The lawyer further argued that the military’s reintegration of former Boko Haram fighters through its deradicalisation programme has discouraged many young people from the region from enlisting.

“To ask them to bleed under a biased command, alongside former terrorists, is a compromise of dignity they refuse to make,” he stated.

Ejimakor maintained that the low enlistment figures should be viewed as a silent protest rather than evidence of a lack of patriotism.

Army says recruitment is transparent

The Chief of Army Staff’s comments are the latest in a series of appeals urging greater participation by South-East youths in military recruitment.

Army authorities have repeatedly noted that states in the region consistently record some of the lowest application numbers nationwide, forcing the military to reallocate unfilled recruitment slots to other parts of the country.

The Nigerian Army has maintained that its recruitment process is transparent, merit-based and open to qualified applicants from every region.