The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Saturday said all lovers of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who wants him freed from Department of State Security (DSS) custody and the realisation of the sovereign State of Biafra must first stop involvement in all criminalities including killing and kidnapping in the South East region of Nigeria.
IPOB asked its members to ponder on how any Nigerian Judge would be “bold and courageous enough to order the release of a person whose group are accused of killing security operatives and destroying government properties.”
In a statement by its Spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB said it is imperative that it speaks again on the incessant abductions, killings and insecurity in South East region because “our people and those who claimed to be IPOB members need to understand that enemies will capitalise on the killings and insecurity in the South East to blackmail IPOB and our peaceful agitation.”
According to the statement, “Biafrans should take cognizance of the timing of these heinous and barbaric acts of violence and murder. Our people and the world community should note that most of these heinous killings happen a few days before our Leader’s court dates. For instance- the army couple, the house of assembly member, the pregnant Hausa woman. These killing could not reasonably have been done or perpetrated by IPOB.
“These atrocities are being committed by people who want to ensure that our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU doesn’t come out from DSS custody and nobody who is genuinely interested in his release will be involved in these criminalities going-on in the South East. How can the killing of our own people whom our leader Mazi Nnamdi is fighting for their liberation and freedom help in securing his release?
“It will only complicate his case and turn our people against him and against the Biafran cause which is what the Nigeria government wants and working with politicians and certain compromised elements in our land through its security agencies and Fulani terrorist Herdsmen towards.
“Again, these killings are also calculated to intimidate and blackmail the judiciary who might be open in granting him justice because our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU has no case to answer.
“How many Nigerian judges do you think would be bold and courageous enough to order the release of a person whose group are accused of killing security operatives and destroying government properties? Therefore our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU wants any genuine person who genuinely desires his freedom from this hell of torture he is currently undergoing to stop all forms criminalities going-on in the region and ensure he or she work in tandem with the structure he put in place and joined with them to move this struggle forward.
“The North enjoy such luxuries and criminalities going-on here but certainly not Igbos. Can you imagine how difficult it is to get our people in custody released or secure their bail? Some of the judges and prosecutors have their relatives who are security operatives who were allegedly killed by people alleged to be IPOB members even though we know they are not IPOB members.
“Each time some of these killings occur in the East, our people are killed in the North, some are stopped on the road, marched out of their vehicles and killed. These things are usually not reported by media houses in Nigeria.
“Remember that between 1967-1970, about 5million Biafrans were killed for no just cause. Nobody including the international community did anything about it. Let us not play into the hands of our enemies because they are again gradually but systematically killing us while setting IPOB up to take the fall.
“They are now engaging in state sponsored killings in order to give IPOB a bad name. This is why immediately after these killings and atrocities occur, there won’t be any kind of investigation but the news headlines would attribute it to IPOB/ESN.
“You can confirm how media houses pointed accusing fingers on IPOB as those behind the kidnap of Methodist Bishop without proper investigations because they hate IPOB/ESN operatives. Every genuine member of IPOB should focus on the struggle to liberate our people not involve with criminality of any sort and ensure that our land is peaceful and conducive.
“IPOB does not have as much money or resources as the Nigerian government to embark on the kind of propaganda the government is embarking on against IPOB. This will continue next week. Every citizen of Biafra is expected to stay safe.”