IPOB debunks military’s claim of dislodging ESN camps in Imo, Abia
The Indigenous People of Biafra has chided the military over an announcement that it raided and dislodged camps belonging to IPOB’s security arm, the Eastern Security Network, in the Okigwe and Isiukwuato areas of Imo and Abia states.
The group noted that it has since disassociated itself from criminal camps in most parts of the two states, adding that genuine information about the activities of criminals operating in those areas was at the fingertips of the security agencies, which it said were not willing to deal with them.
IPOB said this in a statement, on Tuesday, a copy of which was made available to South-East PUNCH.
The statement read, “The great family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra led by the great and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, wish to debunk the fallacious and fabricated propaganda peddled by the Nigerian government and her military that they dislodged IPOB-ESN camp at Okigwe, in Imo State and Isiukwuato, in Abia State.
“IPOB-ESN had severally disassociated ourselves from the so-called camps at Okigwe and Isukwuato, including Orsu, Orlu, and Orsumohu that the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police always claimed to have dislodged IPOB-ESN operatives from. Though, the Nigerian security forces are much aware that the criminals operating those camps are their sponsored infiltrators, claiming to be Liberation Army, the Nigerian Army maliciously claimed that those people are IPOB/ESN operatives.
“These criminals have no relationship with the IPOB movement, neither are they ESN operatives, but the Nigerian government keeps pushing the same wrong narrative against IPOB. In the first place, the objective of recruiting the criminals was to use them to infiltrate and destroy the genuine self-determination agitation championed by IPOB.
“However, the pressure from IPOB leadership and media warriors forced the infiltrators to abandon their false claim of being ESN to their real identity as infiltrators with the code name of Biafra Liberation Army. IPOB demands that the Nigerian government and the Nigerian Army and Police call those they attacked and dislodged by their names and leave IPOB and ESN alone.
“IPOB foiled the plans by the Nigerian government-recruited criminals to infiltrate IPOB and ESN. These criminals were used in committing heinous crimes against Biafrans, such as kidnapping for ransom, enforcement of false sit-at-home, car snatching, and assassination of persons just to blackmail the IPOB movement.
“Hope Uzodinma’s government held a secret negotiation with those recruited and sponsored criminals to drop their weapons. When these criminals refused to hand over their weapons, the Nigerian government declared war on them and started dislodging them from their camps. Instead of the Nigerian security agencies calling these criminals by their rightful name or names, they maliciously call them IPOB-ESN just to continue the propaganda and blackmail against genuine Biafra agitation led by IPOB and its leader Mazi Kanu.”
It said that it was worrisome the Federal Government was paying lip service to the activities of genuine and peaceful members of the group vis-a-vis the criminal elements operating in the region in the guise of IPOB/ESN.
The statement added, “The Nigerian military cannot claim ignorance or not knowing the difference between the genuine IPOB-ESN and their sponsored criminals. However, desperation to damage the reputation of the hallowed image of IPOB is driving them to dish out frivolous propaganda and charges against us. These state-sponsored criminals are among the criminal elements that ESN operatives are confronting in their efforts to keep Biafra land peaceful.
“ESN operatives are not happy with the criminalities perpetrated by these infiltrator criminals recruited by the Nigerian government and DSS to demonise the IPOB movement and ESN operatives. The Nigerian government and her murderous security agencies must understand that the Biafra agitation is still peaceful and can’t be provoked into violence or criminality.
“Since the formation of ESN in 2020, no operative of ESN has been killed for any involvement in criminal activities.
“The Nigerian government and her security agencies should stop funding and fuelling insecurity in Biafra land, particularly in the South East region. IPOB and ESN will never be intimidated by the use of brutal force or media blackmail and propaganda.
“IPOB’s agitation for self-determination and a UN-supervised referendum are lawful. The Nigerian government should give Biafrans the chance to exercise their fundamental constitutional right via a referendum, and we will drop our agitation. Anything short of this demand is a waste of time and resources.”
