• Insists self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister not its member
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Ahead of the Supreme Court ruling in the case of the extra rendition of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other charges on December 15, the group has cautioned the presiding justices in the case against succumbing to blackmail especially linking the leader of the Biafra Liberation Army, Simon Ekpa to Kanu.
Spokesperson of IPOB, Emma Powerful who handed the warning in a release he issued to newsmen on Friday, also debunked the recent statement credited to the Army Chief of Staff that Ekpa is the leader of IPOB. He said “the Nigeria Army’s latest media outburst that Simon Ekpa is an IPOB leader is nothing other than blackmail towards the upcoming judgment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Supreme Court case.
“More so, the linking of Simon Ekpa to IPOB leadership and his recent tweet where he threatened to start violent evacuation of Nigeria military in the South East is part of their collective plans to renew violence in the South-East.”
“We knew that the Supreme Court Justices was under pressure from the federal government not to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Hence, they are shopping for evidence to persuade the Judges. “We are aware they want to impose someone they can manipulate on IPOB and use him to scuttle the Biafra agitation. But that plan is dead on arrival. IPOB’s foundation is impenetrable with strong but invisible forces behind it that the Nigeria government cannot understand.
“A few days ago, Simon Ekpa dished out threats to start violent evacuation of Nigeria Army Biafraland, particularly in Anambra State. Boom, the Nigerian military issued their infamous statement referring and presenting someone to the world as IPOB leader even when they knew that IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu have on several occasions distanced IPOB from the activities of Simon Ekpa which were criminal.
“Even Simon Ekpa himself does not claim to be an IPOB member, let alone IPOB leader. He understands the consequences of claiming to be an IPOB member or leader. They are looking for ways to blackmail the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, before the Supreme Court Judges,” he said.