Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the recent attacks on INEC offices and staff in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State saying the Igbo should not be afraid of anti-democratic forces.
The Biafran-nation agitation group alleged that criminal gangs operating within Ihiala LGA, Orsuihiteukwa in Orsu LGA, were funded and sponsored by unscrupulous politicians to demonize it and its security outfit, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The group vowed that through its volunteers and ESN operatives, it will make Biafraland uncomfortable to criminal gangs paid to intimidate and blackmail its peaceful movement.
It stated this in a statement, yesterday, by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, maintaining it had no interest in the Nigeria election and had refrained from making any statement concerning the polls.
“Our only demand is a referendum date for Biafrans to decide their political social and economic future either in united Nigeria or Independent Biafra nation. IPOB and ESN operatives did not ask any group to attack INEC facilities for whatever reason, neither did we issue any sit-at-home order within the election period and anybody linking IPOB to the malicious sit-at-home order must be very ignorant.”
Powerful said IPOB has its own channels to disseminate information, which are usually through Radio Biafra, its head of media and publicity, or an official IPOB memo signed by its Head of the Directorate Of State, Mazi Chika Edoziem.
“Any IPOB public information that is not from the above-mentioned channels should be disregarded. We urge our people not to pay attention to any fake information purporting to link IPOB to criminal activities of infiltrators and collaborators. IPOB volunteers and ESN operatives will make Biafraland very uncomfortable to criminal gangs paid to intimidate our people and blackmail our peaceful movement. Nigeria security agencies who have been aiding, abetting and supporting these criminals recruited and funded by politicians must stay clear because we will unleash our venom on those who want to blackmail IPOB.
“The task ahead is enormous, and our enemies are relentlessly exploiting every means to destroy IPOB through this election, but we won’t allow them to continue in their obnoxious plan to destroy IPOB and ESN operatives and derail our freedom match. The attacks on INEC facilities within this period are not supported by IPOB, because that will not add any positive value to our struggle. We are only seeking Biafra freedom through peaceful means and not through violence.”