The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, denied responsibility for the recent killings of soldiers and security personnel in Anambra State on Sunday.
The Nigerian Army, according to IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, has linked the group to the murder of soldiers and security agents because of hatred for the Igbo people and Nnamdi Kanu’s Biafra agitation.
Powerful urged the Nigerian Army to stop spreading propaganda and blackmailing IPOB.
In response to a viral video of soldiers linking IPOB to the alleged murder of security agents in Enugu and Anambra States, Powerful emphasised that the separatist group is a peaceful movement.
A statement by Powerful reads: “In view of the recent alleged murder of four Nigeria soldiers in Enugu State, as well as those in Anambra State which were accompanied by the most reckless and senseless accusations against IPOB as being behind the attacks, it has become very imperative to caution the Nigerian Arny and govt to desist from such unfounded and false accusations against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). One of such irresponsible and false accusation is contained in a viral video from Nigerian Army personnel who was heard openly mentioning IPOB by name in the said video trending online.
“It is a common phenomenon that Nigeria Government and their Security Agencies are quick to point accusing fingers at IPOB within minutes of any attack in the East without investigation. Surprisingly, they haven’t linked IPOB to the insecurity ravaging Northern Nigeria. We understand that these are part of their cheap blackmail against the movement, even when the State mastermind most of these attacks. If the Government is not behind the attacks how come they know the attackers within minutes without investigation? How come they cannot predict the many unresolved murder cases in Nigeria?
“We, the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of the liberator Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU condemn the reckless murder of Nigeria soldiers but at the same time caution the Nigeria Army to stop accusing IPOB members falsely. We are not responsible for the attacks and killings.
“Nigeria Army and their Government are only carrying out propaganda and blackmail against IPOB in an effort to stop the Biafra agitation, but they will fail. Nigeria Government and their Court know that IPOB is not involved in the killings and attacks on Security Agents and its Institutions. That is why no Court in Nigeria has been able to convict any of the prosecuted IPOB members. Yet the Nigeria Government has continued arresting, persecuting, and extrajudicially executing IPOB members while unconditionally releasing and compensating Northern terrorists and bandits.
“We have remained a peaceful movement seeking for freedom and Independence of the Biafra people in spite of all the persecutions and provocations at the hand of the Nigeria State. But we shall not take any blackmail from the Government just because they hate our resolve to get Biafra at all cost but most importantly through peaceful agitation.
“The Nigerian Army must stop linking IPOB with the killing of their men because of their evil agenda and hatred against Ndigbo and Biafra agitation championed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB members.
“By tagging every Igbo man and woman as IPOB and ESN members, the Nigerian govt and its security apparatus have created the enabling ground to justify their ongoing extrajudicial executions of Igbo people which simply amount to ethnic cleansing. Moreso, their decision to make some of their soldiers on duty in Biafra land expendables to achieve their evil plan and justify their military siege and assault to the unarmed people is a State-sponsored terrorism. The more the Nigerian terrorist-sponsoring Government and their compromised Army try hard to blackmail IPOB, the more they rub their integrity in the mud.
“The viral video of the Nigeria Army personnel openly accusing IPOB of being responsible for the death of four of their men in Enugu State recently is nothing but a cheap blackmail. We demand an International and independent investigation on all the killings going on in Biafraland so as to unmask the killers and their sponsors.”
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