THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB yesterday replied to the Nigerian Army, describing it as bizzard and brazen blackmail against it and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, their purported arrest of 80 IPoB members and ESN operatives.
IPoB said that the purported arrest of 80 IPoB and ESN operatives by the Nigerian Military, is their and police way of arresting innocent Igbo youths and killing them in the name of killing pro-Biafra activists.
The pro-Biafra group categorically stated that it has no problem with Nigeria security forces that have been arresting and killing innocent Igbo youths, saying that it is not interested in engaging the security forces, but should not be pushed to the wall for such engagement with their killing of Igbo youths, adding that should ESN decide to engage Nigeria Police and the military for their alleged tagging of Igbo youths of being IPoB members and ESN operatives and extra judicially killing them, they will not have the temerity to boast of arresting of IPoB and ESN operatives.
A statement by IPoB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful entitled, “The purported arrest of 80 IPoB members and ESN operatives by the Nigerian military is a hoax”, said that “the Nigerian Army spokesperson has only succeeded in making a caricature of their institution by their constant illusion of killing ESN operatives.”
It added that “The bizarre and brazen blackmail against IPoB and ESN by the Nigeria Government and her security agencies shows that IPoB remains the only obstacle to their annihilation and extermination of Ndigbo, saying that it will not relent in its efforts towards the emancipation of Biafra land from the terrorist herdsmen and their Fulani military and Police collaborator.
The Biafra agitating group also stated that the military presence in the East is basically for three reasons which it said are to extort money from the people and motorists, provide a safe heaven for their alleged infiltrator criminal agents, and for the protection of Fulani terrorist herdsmen.
“We want Nigerian Army spokesperson to keep making caricatures of their institution by their constant illusion of killing ESN operatives. They have not killed any single IPoB or ESN operatives, we are only aware of the innocent Igbo youths they have been tagging IPoB Commanders and ESN operatives like they have done recently in Anambra State and killing them.
“No 80 IPoB volunteers or ESN operatives were arrested by the military. The fake claim of arresting 80 IPoB volunteers or ESN members by the military is a hoax and should not be believed. If indeed the military arrested any person, they must be innocent Igbo youths or criminals enforcing sit-at-home in the East. Military presence in the Southeast Region, Biafra land is basically for three purposes, namely to extort money from the people and motorists, providing a safe haven for their alleged infiltrator criminal agents, and for the protection of Fulani terrorist herdsmen.
“ESN operatives are disciplined and focused on their primary objective of dislodging Fulani terrorists nicknamed herdsmen from our farmlands and forests. They do not engage the Nigeria security forces nor are they involved in any criminality.
“Unfortunately, the Nigerian military keeps making caricatures of themselves by fake claims of capturing and killing of IPoB members or ESN operatives. For clarity purposes, IPoB members are not terrorists, neither are ESN operatives. ESN operatives are volunteers who are keeping the land in peace against Fulani terrorists terrorizing the entire Biafra land.
“Let it also be on record that Nigeria’s security forces, particularly military, are committing genocide in Biafra land. The people they claimed to have killed are always innocent Igbo youths and men, not IPoB members or ESN operatives.
“ESN operatives are not on the streets of Biafran and can’t be captured or killed like civilians. If the Nigeria military goes after ESN operatives doing the legitimate job to secure our forest and farmlands, they will also count their losses. For one ESN operative to go down, means Nigeria soldiers will go down too.
Nigeria security agencies are aware that there are criminal gangs in the Southeast region parading themselves as ESN. The ESN operative does not parade themselves because they are focused and disciplined on their assigned tasks. ESN does not have a social media handle and doesn’t engage in social media showbiz.
“Nigeria government and her security agencies should stop displaying their unprofessionalism by linking ESN or IPoB family members to the activities of criminal gangs. Some of the criminal gangs in the East, are creations of the Nigeria government through DSS to blackmail IPoB peaceful struggle under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”
