From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has emphasised that its vigilante outfit, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) is not not after security agents but herdsmen destroying farmlands in the South East.
Spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful,who disclosed this in a statement noted that it was a misconception linking ESN to a Biafra Army.
Similarly, the group has distanced itself from the recent killings of security agents in the zone, especially Abia and Imo State.
Powerful said: “The government knows those who take responsibility for crimes committed in Biafraland, and those people are neither IPOB nor ESN, why does the government ignore them and accuse ESN and IPOB of what they had no knowledge about?
“IPOB has consistently disassociated itself from any criminal group operating in Biafraland.
“This sponsored violent group has repeatedly taken responsibility for the attacks on the security agencies, yet the government maliciously refuses to call out the perpetrators by their names, instead they tag their violent activities on IPOB.
“The media working in tandem with the government establishment will often maliciously label the violent crimes and group as a faction of IPOB, but IPOB never had and will never have any faction.
“Again, IPOB does not have an Army. We are simply a freedom fighting movement . Therefore, when a bunch of criminals address themselves as an Army, how does that relate to IPOB?