Ipob accuses security forces of planting IEDs across southeast to discredit its campaign

SECESSIONIST group the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) has accused Nigerian security agents of planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across the southeast geo-political zone as part of a plan to discredit its campaign.

Ipob is engaged in a running battle with the federal government over the arrest of its leader Nnamdi Kanu who was abducted by Nigerian security agent in Kenya and is currently facing treason charges in Abuja. As a result,. it calls sit-at-home protests every Monday to make its point and its military wing the Eastern Security Network (ESN) ensures compliance with the order.

Of late, there has been an increase in violence across the southeast, with the ESN being blamed for these attacks. However, Ipob spokesman Emma Powerful, has hit back, claiming that these IEDs were planted by Nigerian security forces to implicate its members and the ESN

Dismissing the claim as propaganda, Mr Powerful denied that Ipob and ESN were behind the recent planting of IEDs in Awo-Mmamma, in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. He added that the claim by the Nigerian Army and the police that they thwarted planned IED attacks were false because the explosives wer4e not theirs.

Mr Powerful said: “The attention of the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra ably led by our great liberator and prophet, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the fallacious and laughable, statement from the Nigeria Army and police, claiming that Ipob/ESN operatives planted an  IED in Awo-Mmamma and its nearby community, Mgbidi in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. The purported statement and false propaganda that troops thwarted Ipob/ESN attacks on two Imo communities and uncovered IEDs should be disregarded.

"This is another desperate but futile attempt by the Nigerian security agencies to implicate Ipob and ESN operatives. It, however, did not come to us as a surprise because it has been their stock in trade. This is another blatant falsehood.

“For the records, Ipob and ESN operatives never planted and have no plans to plant IEDs in any part of Biafraland. ESN since its inauguration by our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in December last year has never engaged in any terrorist activity. Its mandate has not changed, which is the protection of our ancestral land against Fulani herdsmen and bandits attacks.

“It’s only ridiculous for the security agencies to try to link Ipob or ESN with the planting of IEDs, when in fact Nigerians know who those who plant IEDs are. Planting explosives is the signature tune of the Fulani terrorists and bandits.

“Assuming but not in any way admitting this idiotic trash, if we should resort to the planting of IEDs, who do we want to kill? What do we want to achieve? How can we be stupid to begin to plant bombs that will kill our people whom we are staking our lives daily to protect and defend against Fulani terrorists?

“To further punctuate their lies, how come these shameless liars claiming to be security agents are only swift in discovering IEDs purportedly planted by Ipob and ESN but fail to detect the same IEDs planted by Fulani bandits and terrorists which have claimed thousands of lives in the north including security operatives themselves although mainly from southern Nigeria? It is now clear that these terrorists in military and police uniforms are working in cahoots with their rag-tag counterparts in the forests to achieve the same agenda.

"While they keep betraying southern troops serving in the north, these jihadists and terrorists in security uniforms deployed to Biafra land are now busy planting IEDs in their desperation to implicate Ipob and ESN.”