The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reaffirmed its opposition to all forms of criminality while accusing politicians of orchestrating insecurity in Igboland to tarnish the group’s image and undermine its mission.
In a statement issued by Comrade Emma Powerful, the Media and Publicity Secretary for IPOB, the group asserted its readiness to collaborate with local security outfits to combat criminals allegedly sponsored by politicians. IPOB accused these politicians of using insecurity as a weapon to discredit IPOB and its security wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as well as to derail the movement’s leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from pursuing the restoration of Biafra through a United Nations-supervised referendum.
“The mission of these Igbo politicians, driven by envy and jealousy of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s popularity and global reach, is to collaborate with historic enemies of the Igbo race to destroy IPOB, disband ESN, and compel our leader to abandon his God-given mandate. Their plans will never work,” the statement read.
IPOB challenged claims that the ESN was linked to the wave of insecurity in Igboland, arguing that insecurity in the region only escalated in 2022, two years after the formation of the ESN in 2020. The group questioned why insecurity was absent prior to 2022 if the ESN was indeed responsible, suggesting that the chaos was deliberately introduced to malign IPOB and justify its disbandment.
“It is idiotic and devoid of logic to attach every incident of criminality or insecurity to ESN. If ESN is responsible, why did insecurity not start in 2020 when ESN was created or in 2012 when IPOB was formed? Only the gullible will believe this state-sponsored demonization propaganda,” the statement continued.
The group further accused politicians and security agencies of raising and funding criminal elements, including an individual in Finland, to infiltrate and ridicule IPOB’s legitimate quest for Biafran freedom.
“The obsession of Janjaweed politicians, their religious leaders, and the compromised Igbo political class with IPOB reveals their true intentions. Biafraland will never be conquered by jihadists, and the Igbo race will not be subservient to any interest or group, regardless of the cost,” IPOB declared.
Reaffirming its stance, IPOB emphasized its commitment to justice and lawfulness, pledging to work with genuine security outfits to rid the region of criminal elements allegedly sponsored by those opposing the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The statement concluded by calling for vigilance and urging Nigerians to see through what it described as a “well-funded propaganda campaign” aimed at discrediting IPOB, ESN, and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
