The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on teenage girls from the South-East region of Nigeria to reject the cervical cancer vaccination being offered by the Federal Government.
Emma Powerful, the IPOB media and publicity secretary, issued a statement on Wednesday stating the group’s concerns.
In October 2023, the International Vaccine Centre announced that the Federal Government of Nigeria had introduced a single-dose HPV vaccine into its routine immunization program.
This led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) with support from partners like Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and IVAC, aims to combat HPV-related cancers, including cervical cancer, which is a leading cause of death among Nigerian women.
The vaccination campaign targets girls aged 9 to 14 across 16 Nigerian states in its first phase, with plans to reach an additional 21 states later this year. Over the next two years, the program intends to vaccinate over three million 9-year-old girls and 14 million girls aged 10 to 14, marking the largest roll-out of the single-dose schedule to date. Dr. Chizoba Wonodi, Nigeria Country Director for IVAC, played a crucial role in the vaccine’s introduction.
However, IPOB has raised questions about the focus on young girls rather than older, sexually active women who are more at risk of developing cervical cancer. The group voiced skepticism about the intentions behind the vaccine, citing past grievances with the Federal Government’s treatment of the Igbo people.
“Medically, cervical cancer happens to sexually active women. Why is the vaccine targeted at teens who are considerably not sexually active?” IPOB questioned
“Why is the vaccine targeted on teen girls instead of the sexually active women? Cervical cancer is an age long disease among sexually active women.
“Our grandmothers, mothers, and sisters have lived their lives without cervical cancer vaccine and cervical cancer. Why would our young girls be targeted for vaccines instead of the older women who are above childbearing age? Does it mean that older women are not threatened by the same cervical cancer?”
The Nnamdi Kanu-led group said the Igbo people have not benefited from the FG’s goodwill, asking why the vaccination should not be treated with caution.
It continued, “Ndigbo have never been beneficiaries of the Federal Government economic benevolence. Therefore, Ndigbo must be careful of any medical benevolence from the Nigeria government.
“Moreso, the world we live in today is being manned by dangerous people with their own agendas. Some of the agendas, such as Bill Gates’ depopulation program agenda, are not hidden. The COVID 19 vaccine has proven to be promoted by people with hidden agendas.
“Our people must be very careful in whatever vaccine that the government introduces because behind some of these vaccines are demonic agendas.
“As much as IPOB agrees that cervical cancer is real, we will not encourage our children (ages 9-14) to accept any cervical cancer vaccine.
“Biafran parents must avoid subjecting their children as guinea pigs for medical experiments. Some of the vaccines are targeted at creating infertility among the men and women in Africa, particularly among the highly fertile race, which Ndigbo is among the top.
IPOB, therefore, calls on Biafran parents to avoid vaccination of their girl children with purported cervical cancer vaccine from the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
IPOB cautioned the Igbo community, advising Biafran parents to protect their children from what they perceive as potential medical experiments.
