Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the purported killing and kidnap of Taraba indigenes, warning that IPOB should not be linked to any kidnapping or terrorism business.
The group made this known in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, on Friday.
The IPOB statement followed the alleged killing and abduction of fishermen from Ibbi Local Government Council of Taraba State. Reports had it that some of them are still nowhere to be found after their abduction in Osama village in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
However, the group has described the allegation as untrue, noting that those apprehended by its men were on another mission to perpertrate crime and terror in their land.
It said: “On June 13th, 2024, the public especially Biafrans were alarmed over the viral videos of the foreign and local Fulani in Biafra Land with various charms and weapons in the middle of the night who were intercepted by the gallant ESN Operatives.
“They confessed that they were sent to camp in a certain location in Biafra Land. They confessed that some of the terrorists are already on the ground in Biafra land while others will also arrive soon. Their mission is to destabilise Biafra land.
“After ESN Operatives interrogated them, they were given appropriate treatment that they deserved and were dislodged from carrying out their attack in Biafra Land.
“The purported news that some Taraba indigenes said that ESN killed 3 of their brothers and demanded N20 million ransom to release the remaining 9 is false.
“The so-called Taraba indigenes claimed that the men that ESN intercepted in the middle of the night of June 12th, 2024, were fishermen.
“Questions begging for answers are what those fishermen were doing in the night inside Biafra bushes, what the fishermen were doing with charms and weapons, and which river or ocean were the fishermen coming to fish in?”
It added, “If the so-called Taraba indigenes are in contact with anyone demanding N20 million to release their terrorists brothers, they can deal with them and showing evidence but keep ESN out of their terrorism and kidnapping business (sic).
“ESN does not kidnap nor demand ransom. ESN are trained and disciplined Vigilantees with mandates to dislodge marauding Fulani terrorists from the Biafra territory.
“It is interesting that those who claimed that the intercepted and dislodged foreign and local Fulani terrorists are their brothers go on national television and tell the world the mission of their brothers in the Biafran Land with weapons and charms in the middle of the night (sic).
“Biafrans and the world will be happy to identify those sponsoring terrorists to destabilise Biafra Land. It is sad that Nigeria is the only country where terrorists are protected, shielded, and defended.”
