Ipob blames recent spat with Governor Obiano on government-hired thugs recruited to infiltrate it ranks

SECESSIONIST group the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) has accused the federal and Anambra State governments of recruiting uneducated thugs to infiltrate its ranks in order to label it a violent group.

 

Over the last two years, Ipob has been campaigning for the recreation of the defunct republic of Biafra and has held numerous rallies across Igboland to state its cause. Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu has been visiting towns and cities across southeast Nigeria over recent weeks, attracting huge crowds but at certain gatherings, there have been near-clashes with the police, although in the main, these rallies have been peaceful.

 

Over the weekend, Mr Kanu visited Imo State and Ipob expressed its gratitude to Imolites over the reception granted him in Owerri during his unscheduled visit. According to Ipob, an  estimated  3m to 4m residents thronged the streets to welcome Mr Kanu.

 

However, Emma Powerful, Ipob's spokesman, said miscreants have infiltrated their ranks’ and are acting in a way that gives Ipob a bad name. Mr Powerful as apparently reacting to Sunday’s incident at Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, where some youths dressed in Ipob uniforms and waving Biafra flags tried to force themselves into St. Joseph’s Church in the town where Governor Willie Obiano was worshipping at the time.

 

Attributing this to mischief, Mr Powerful accused government contractors of mobilising people who went to the Catholic church and harassed worshippers, alleging that the aim was to create room for security operatives to begin to arrest Ipob members in Ekwulobia and its environs. During the altercation, Governor Obiano had to be whisked away from the church buy his security detail.

 

Mr Powerful said: “Ipob leaders and members are very intelligent people who cannot involve themselves in any act of violence. It is crystal clear to all and sundry that Ipob under Nnamdi Kanu remains non-violent in its pursuit for Biafran freedom and cannot change our method of peaceful approach towards the restoration of Biafra.

 

"The election boycott in Anambra, come November this year, remains but cannot cause any violence. We are aware that some politicians and Nigeria security employed some uneducated individuals and groups in the society to harass the general public in the name of Ipob members.

 

On Sunday, several bus loads of suspected Ipob members were sighted in Awka as they headed towards Onitsha through the old Enugu-Onitsha Road. Made up of young men between the ages of 20 and 25, they were chanting Biafran songs and displaying Biafra banners and kept shouting to other motorists and passersby that there would be no election in Anambra State in November.

 

"Some government contractors have printed Ipob T-shirts and Biafra flags with huge amounts of money to be shared to the hungry youths. We advise the general public to beware of fake Ipob members, who were paid by politicians to cause confusion in Anambra and states in Biafraland.

 

"Since the inception of these private visits to various towns in Biafraland by our leader, we have not had any altercation, interruption or any act of misunderstanding with the public and law enforcement agencies. At Ipob, we make it a point of duty to stream live videos across the world of our movements and events, to prevent our enemies from instigating trouble with which they can use to justify their illegal arrests and mass murder,” Mr Powerful added.

 

Meanwhile, the leader of the Biafra Independence Movement, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has announced plans to open another Radio Biafra station in Germany as part of activities lined up to mark the 18 years of the founding of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob), which he said was formed September 13, 1999.  He added that the celebration proper of 18 years of Massob would take place in Onitsha, Anambra State on September 13.

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