The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday says it “strongly condemn” the attack on staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Ihite Uboma Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State.
The group, while denying that any of its members were directly and indirectly connected with the attack, warned “traitors and enemies,” that are “behind these barbaric attacks to stop or be ready to reap the reward of their atrocities.”
In a statement by IPOB Spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group noted that it “cannot afford to allow them to continue to terrorise our people or demonise our peaceful organisation as some uninformed people appoint accusing fingers at us.
“IPOB is not happy with these criminal activities going on in our region because we don’t want this to continue and we are going to expose those behind this evil in the region.
“Anybody involved in this act will regret it. We totally disassociate from this act of criminality. IPOB volunteers and ESN have no hands in this criminal act that criminals randomly carry out against our people.
“We have made it clear to the public severally that IPOB members are not unknown gunmen and we cannot be because we have objective which is to restore Biafra as a free, Independent and Sovereign Nation.
“Anybody who is involved in this evil act on INEC officers at Ihite Uboma LGA will pay dearly. The masterminds are being sponsored by unfortunate politicians thinking they can jeopardise our decision to make Biafra freedom a reality.
“We want to make it publicly known that IPOB and its security units did not attack INEC officers in Imo State. We are aware that Nigeria Government and their collaborators are sponsoring these criminal groups to attack our people in the name of IPOB to instigate crisis so people can disassociate themselves from IPOB activities and the entire world will see IPOB as terror group but they will fail and will not raise their ugly heads again. We promise them so.
“IPOB will not relent in discovering those behind this devilish activities and expose them.”