Ipob accuses Soludo of using Ebubeagu militia to eliminate its members ion Anambra

SECESSIONIST group the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) has accused Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State of secretly setting up a Ebubeagu militia unit to eliminate its members.

In April 2021, the South East Governors Forum announced plans to launch Ebubeagu, modelled similar to the Amotekun Corps in southwest Nigeria to provide security in the region. At a security meeting in Owerri, Imo State capital, the five southeast governors announced the establishment of the body, which will have its headquarters in Enugu.

However, Ipob, which has its own armed wing called the Eastern Security Network (ESN), enjoined youths and other people in the area to distance themselves from the security outfit. At the time, Ipob spokesman Emma Powerful, said that the formation of Ebebeagu was suspicious, alluding to the fact that it may be used to sabotage ESN.

Yesterday, Mr Powerful said: “We have been drawn to the reckless and unjustifiable murder of innocent citizens of Biafra in Anambra State by the secret militia and Ebubeagu security outfit created by Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. Ipob wants to bring to the knowledge of Biafrans the criminal activities of Soludo’s militia and Ebubeagu security outfit in Anambra State.

"Soludo has secretly set up the Ebubeagu security outfit simply to begin a covert elimination of Ipob members and now, it is clear that the governor wants to turn the peaceful state of Anambra into flames. Soludo must be held responsible for whatever happens in Anambra State going forward if he continues to use his Ebubeagu militia to be profiling Biafrans and eliminating them because they have paintings or tattoos on their body.”

Ipob added that the secret killing of its members is pronounced in Nnewi, Idemili South and Idemili North local government areas. It advised Governor Soludo to take a cue from what was happening in other southeastern states where the governors defied Ipob’s warnings.

Mr Powerful said the ESN has been put on alert about happenings in Anambra State where he claimed that several Ipob members have been either killed, abducted, or arrested. Although there is no verifiable evidence of the existence of Ebubeagu militia in Anambra State, Ipob insists that the militia was the same as the very well-known Anambra Vigilante Services.