By Publisher
Kindly share:
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has blamed the recent attacks and killings in the South-east on security agents and criminals allegedly sponsored by the Federal Government to tarnish it’s image.
Emma Powerful, spokesperson of the pro-Biafran group, in a statement on Monday absolved IPOB if involvement in the dastardly acts, and claimed emphasised that its vigilante group, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, was solely established not to fight security operatives but to counter terrorists masked as herdsmen in the region.
“The great family and movement of IPOB wish to state categorically to the general public that IPOB established the ESN as an armed vigilante group to dislodge the Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen in Biafra land and not to confront the Nigerian security forces or otherwise,” the statement read.
IPOB reiterated that the ESN operatives have been committed only to the mandate of safeguarding the forests, bushes, and people of the South-east region since its inception in December 2020.
It added that the recent spate of killings in the region were orchestrated by the same terrorists the ESN was established to fight.
“These marauding terrorists are responsible for the mass murder of security personnel and defenceless communities in Nigeria. They are also responsible for the mass abductions and rape of women in Nigeria.”
Furthermore, the IPOB accused the Federal Government of failing to hold the criminals accountable, saying this makes it complicit.
However, it deplored accusations linking its IPOB and its operatives to recent violent incidents in the South-east, such as the killing of Igbo military personnel in Aba, describing it as a ploy to tarnish IPOB’s image.
“We know that the Federal Government sponsors and uses criminal elements and members of their security agencies to commit criminal actions in Biafraland for the purposes of blackmailing IPOB in the global arena,” Powerful alleged, insisting that IPOB remains non-violent and peaceful.
“IPOB does not have an Army. We are simply a freedom-fighting movement. IPOB and ESN are fighting for the good of the Biafran people and shall see to the pitiable end of those recruited to fight against the good of our people and the restoration of the Biafra Sovereignty.”
