Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has asked South-Easterners in Lagos State to ignore the sit-at-home order by Simon Ekpa’s faction of the secessionist group.
Finland-based Ekpa’s faction of the proscribed IPOB had on Wednesday told Igbos living and doing business in Lagos to sit-at-home in order to cripple the economy of the state.
In a series of tweets, he noted that Igbo traders in the state had been victims of several attacks, especially as some of their markets had been burnt.
He urged them to demonstrate their value to Lagos’ economy by the sitting order.
However, in reaction, the Media and Publicity Secretary of the IPOB, Emma Powerful, in a statement issued on Wednesday, charged the people to go about their dailies businesses, noting that IPOB did not issue any order in Lagos.
The statement reads: “No sit-at-home order. IPOB did not issue any of such orders in Lagos. The people should ignore them and go about their normal business, we have always told them to ignore such senseless orders. But we are going to issue a full press release on that.
“Any group operating in whatever name or disguise outside IPOB and under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Directorate of State (DOS) is on their own. We warn all and sundry to cease and desist from using the name of IPOB, ESN, M-Branch, or Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in their name or in any operation that they carry out.
“We again reiterate that IPOB is not part of the formation of the “kangaroo” Biafra government in exile anywhere. Also, there are no factions whatsoever in IPOB, and we do not have any links with autopilot groups.
“The people behind the shambolic Radio Biafra government in exile and senseless sit-at-home orders are not IPOB members, and they should stop linking themselves to IPOB. We have often made it clear to Biafrans that IPOB has no hand in the purported Biafra government in exile. Those piloting government in exile in the USA are not IPOB members, and they don’t mean well for Biafra’s freedom and restoration. They are politicians and not non-violent freedom-fighting movements like IPOB.
“IPOB is a peaceful movement and well rooted and focused on our set agenda focused on a Biafra referendum, which will culminate into our freedom. IPOB is not divided and cannot be divided until Biafra is restored through a referendum.
“Furthermore, IPOB has no plan to print Biafra currency, stamps, and other important state documents because we are not yet a sovereign nation. Those wild-goose chasers talking about the printing of Biafra currency with their faces on the currency are daydreamers. If we print currencies now, where can they be used as legal tender?
“Our people should stop following noisemakers who disguise as people in Biafra struggle to distract IPOB and call attention to themselves. Our people should stop being emotional about the Biafra Independence so that they don’t get fooled easily. There is time for everything as the struggle progresses. IPOB is carefully and patiently implementing every strategy toward our freedom.
“All we want is the unconditional release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and a Biafra Referendum date. And that we must get as long as Elohim lives.”
