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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has vowed to go after the gunmen who abducted four Catholic reverend sisters recently, at Umulolo in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State.
IPOB, in a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, urged the abductors to release the female clerics who, he said, did nothing to warrant such treatment.
He also vowed that his group’s security outfit, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), will comb all the bushes in the South East to rescue the four kidnapped reverend sisters.
He said: “IPOB is searching for every victim of kidnap in the region because we know that the Fulani are still busy kidnapping our people; there is only one lion in the jungle and, soon, they shall know.
“We are not interested in their blackmail, we would remain focused in the pursuit of the Biafra struggle. We can’t suffer those we vow to protect, everybody will hear the news shortly.”
Meanwhile, the group has reiterated that ESN does not have a camp at Enugu Ezike in Enugu State and maintained that the hoodlums terrorising the areas are not members of IPOB.
Powerful said ESN has stopped recruiting personnel since two years ago.
“The Eastern Security Network (ESN) stopped recruiting personnel two years ago. Therefore, anybody deceiving and parading himself or herself as having joined ESN recently is working with infiltrators and will die in the hands of the Nigerian government and its security agencies.
“ESN doesn’t have any operational camp at Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze, Enugu North. Those terrorising men and women of God, including traditional rulers, are not ESN operatives or IPOB volunteers.
“IPOB and ESN do not call our people to bring money to them. Anybody who wishes to support ESN operatives does that willingly and voluntarily without any form of force or threat.
“The youths of the affected communities must come out and identify the criminals because IPOB is coming out to deal with them.
“Those claiming to be autopilots without airplanes are not IPOB family members, and we cannot allow them to destroy IPOB’s image. Autopilots are free to do anything in their names, but not impersonate IPOB.
“We are not against anyone or group fighting for Biafra, so long as you’re not impersonating IPOB, ESN, M-Branch and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, or with the sole objective of destroying the hard earned good image and reputation of IPOB and ESN.
“We discovered that those responsible for the recent insecurities going on in Enugu Ezike and other communities are hoodlums who were recruited by auto piloters who were driven out of Anambra and Imo states.
“These hoodlums found their way to Enugu Ezike through their henchmen called Chocho and Ejiofor. These guys relocated to Enugu to continue their criminalities in these villages.
“Simon Ekpa, in one of his recent broadcasts, confirmed that the boys in that fake ESN camp are working for him.
“He claimed that ESN has a camp in Enugu Ezike, but we are sure he’s referring to the fake ESN camp under him.
“The activities of these criminals have drawn the attention of the Nigeria military in that peaceful community, which is now worsening the security situation in that village.
“The Nigerian military from 82 division Enugu, with hatred against Igbo citizens, instead of facing the criminals and hoodlums terrorising the communities, has turned to abduct and kill innocent villagers at random, tagging them unknown gunmen and ESN,” Powerful stated.
