Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abakaliki, Nigeria — The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo has issued a strong rebuke to the New York Times, demanding an immediate retraction and apology after a recent international newspaper report suggested that an Igbo man was involved in providing intelligence linked to United States military actions against ISIS elements in Nigeria. The organisation warned that the publication’s claims were misleading, inflammatory and risked stirring ethnic tensions.
In a statement signed on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General of Ohanaeze, and Chief Chinyereze Ohia, National Spokesman, the group categorically rejected assertions attributed to the New York Times that tied an Onitsha-based screwdriver trader to intelligence that prompted U.S. strikes on suspected ISIS camps in Sokoto State. Ohanaeze said the portrayal of any Igbo individual as a key intelligence source for the United States was “absurd and insulting,” and lacked factual basis.
Ohanaeze characterised the report as part of a broader pattern of media narratives that have historically been used to stigmatise and scapegoat the Igbo ethnic group — a reference to deeply-felt grievances dating back to ethnic tensions in Nigeria’s history. The statement argued that the timing and framing of the article could fuel distrust and suspicion against Igbo communities, particularly in northern regions of the country, where ethnic and religious fault lines remain sensitive.
“We unequivocally state that the Igbo are not, and have never been, intelligence providers to the United States or any foreign power in relation to counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria,” the Ohanaeze leadership said. It stressed that linking an Igbo individual to U.S. strikes was a dangerous misrepresentation that could have “devastating consequences” for social cohesion and national unity.
The organisation further criticised the newspaper for allowing unverified claims to be published, warning that such reporting “mirrors the insidious propaganda campaign that fuelled ethnic tensions leading up to the tragic events of 1966,” an apparent reference to past ethnic violence in Nigeria that followed contested narratives about the role of Igbo individuals in national events.
In addition to calling for an unconditional apology and the withdrawal of the report, Ohanaeze urged other civil rights groups to exercise caution in commenting on matters related to international security cooperation so as to avoid further misinterpretation or escalation of ethnic mistrust.
The dispute stems from a New York Times article published in mid-January 2026 that suggested a Nigerian civil society figure was instrumental in influencing U.S. military action against ISIS-linked targets in Nigeria — a claim that has drawn widespread criticism from advocacy groups and commentators who argue that complex military decisions are not driven by individual sources but by broader intelligence frameworks.
Ohanaeze’s demand reflects broader debates within Nigeria over media representation, ethnicity and security, highlighting ongoing sensitivities about how external reporting intersects with internal fault lines. It remains unclear whether the New York Times will respond to the demand for retraction or offer any corrective or clarifying statement.
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