Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Worried by the criminal activities of hoodlums enforcing the non-existent sit-at-home in the South-East, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has urged security agencies to deal decisively with the criminals.
IPOB in a press statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said the activities of such criminals “are giving IPOB a bad name.”
The pro-Biafra movement which distanced itself from the rising insecurity in the region, urged security agencies to be professional in their operations to avoid Killing innocent citizens.
Below is a full text of the statement made available to Ikengaonline: “We wish to remind them that those they killed in ihioma and Amaifeke in Orlu were not IPOB members or ESN operatives because IPOB volunteers don’t enforce non-existent Monday sit-at-home. It’s not in doubt that IPOB issued Monday sit-at-home order to solidarize with our Leader but upon pleas by our mothers and elders based on its adverse effects on the economy of our people, we quickly rescinded it. Anyone still enforcing Monday sit-at-home is not a genuine IPOB member but a dissident and doesn’t deserve any mercy.
“We have severally threatened to deal with these dissidents giving us bad name. So, we even commend security agencies for dealing with such hoodlums in the manner they deserve because of their stubbornness. IPOB is a disciplined and responsible movement. We don’t know where such hoodlums are coming from and what agenda they are pursuing but certainly not Biafra agenda.
“We, therefore, ask the security agencies to stop referring to such dissidents as IPOB members because they don’t belong to us. The security agencies should stop associating us with criminals that have no connections whatsoever with IPOB. We equally advise them to be professional in dealing with such characters so that innocent citizens are not caught in the crossfire.
“It should be noted that IPOB volunteers are not in the market or streets; they know their duty posts – in the bushes and forests of Biafraland protecting our farmlands from the Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen in our territory.
“It’s unfortunate that the Nigeria security agencies are turning the truth upside down because they want the public to believe they are working hard while in reality they are pursuing an Islamist agenda. They kill innocent citizens on the streets and tag them IPOB members and ESN operatives.
“Nigeria army should leave the people of Orlu in peace and allow them go about their daily business and focus on the terrorists and bandits in the North where killings are the order of the day.
“We remind them once again that IPOB is not responsible for these criminalities in the whole of Biafraland including Ihioma and Amaifeke, Orlu. IPOB is not missing any of its members in Orlu Senatorial Zone.
“We are calling on the stakeholders of Eastern Region to come together and fight these criminals trying to blackmail and demonise IPOB. We don’t know them and have absolutely nothing to do with them.
“These criminals are kidnapping, snatching cars and killing innocent citizens claiming they are IPOB and ESN members while they are not. They deserve no mercy. They are not worthy to live. Whoever is sponsoring them should be brought to book.
“IPOB securities both ESN and IPOB volunteers are not permitted to do anything that will threaten the lives of Biafrans, and this is a fundamental principle and policy of IPOB. Anybody involved in killing and taking lives is not worthy to belong to this hallowed family and IPOB cannot allow such a person to be in our midst. Like our leader said what is happening in our land is sacrilegious and there is no sense in anyone claiming that IPOB has turned against the people we are fighting for.”
