IPOB a terrorist organization?

I don’t know the intelligence at the disposal of government, but I think declaring IPOB a terrorist organization is a mistake. In my opinion IPOB is a separatist or secessionist group going about their agitation the wrong way. Terrorist organizations are stateless, without definite territory, unlike IPOB.

Secondly, for all its misdemeanor, I never heard that IPOB carried out a wholesale massacre or bombing of innocent Citizens. This is one of the hallmarks of a terrorist organization.

By declaring IPOB a terrorist organization, the government may have now inadvertently invited global terror groups into the mix.

But I understand the strategic logic. The first objective of course is to nip the unfolding scenario in the bud so that the group does not get hijacked and we end up with a situation similar to Boko Haram when government was not proactive enough.

The second objective, I assume, is to galvanize global action against IPOB and thus push it against the wall, especially given the fact that there is a universal resentment against terrorism. Terrorism, of course, has universal jurisdiction as one act of terrorism in one part of the world can be prosecuted in another part of the world. Recall that Okah, the mastermind of the October 1st 2011 bombing of Eagle Square, Abuja, was tried and jailed in far away South Africa.

Strategically, declaring IPOB a terrorist organization also gives government a much stronger negotiating chip if it comes to that. The Government will be intransigent in demanding far-reaching concessions at the table, if it comes to that.

But it could also be counterproductive. If the government does not handle the narrative well, it could win IPOB more global and local sympathy. In a nutshell, a sort of Stockholm syndrome could develop.

All things considered, I maintain that declaring IPOB a terrorist group is a wrong call by government.