IPOB Dares Nigerian Army To Charge Arrested “Suspects” To Court, Says No ESN Camps In Delta State The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ha...
IPOB Dares Nigerian Army To Charge Arrested “Suspects” To Court, Says No ESN Camps In Delta State
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has debunked the recent claims by the Nigerian Army that it raided hideouts linked to the Biafran group in Delta State in the South South region of the country, and arrested 13 individuals alleged to be its members.
In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB dismissed the military's claims as “propaganda warfare.”
IPOB dared the Nigerian Army to charge the claimed arrested suspects to court, warning that it would take a legal action if the army fails to charge the arrested individuals to court within seven days.
“Let us state unequivocally and for the record: IPOB has no hideouts, camps or terror cells anywhere in Biafra land, let alone in the bushes of Delta State,” Powerful stated.
“We are a peaceful movement of enlightened, urban-based, family-rooted indigenous people. We do not live in bushes; we own homes, build communities, and uphold values.”
The Nigerian Army had earlier claimed it arrested 13 IPOB members during a raid in Delta State, alleging that the individuals were involved in activities linked to terrorism and secessionist violence.
However, IPOB, which denied having any camp in Delta state, challenged the military to provide evidence in a court of law, not through what it termed “compromised journalists or secret torture facilities.”
“We challenge the Commandant of the said military operation to produce the 13 ‘IPOB suspects’ in a court of competent jurisdiction within 7 days… If not, we shall initiate a lawsuit compelling this military commander to appear before a judge to defend his reckless lies under oath,” IPOB declared.
The group also accused the Nigerian military of bias and misplaced priorities, saying the government has ignored the threat of northern-based armed groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits, while focusing its energy on targeting IPOB in the South.
“While Boko Haram, ISWAP, Fulani herdsmen, and bandit terrorists continue to ravage the North and Middle Belt unchecked, the Nigerian Army is busy raiding imaginary IPOB camps in the South. How laughable. How pathetic,” the statement said.
IPOB, led by the detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is a group advocating for the independence of Biafra Nation, a region in southeastern Nigeria that attempted to secede from the country in the 1960s, sparking a civil war that claimed over a million lives.
In its latest statement, IPOB reasserted its claim to indigenous identity, distancing itself from any form of violent extremism or criminal activity.
“We therefore warn the Nigerian Army, the police, and their Janjaweed intelligence chiefs to desist from their fruitless attempts to link IPOB to criminality,” IPOB stressed.
“IPOB has no links to violence, terrorism or crime. We do not bomb trains. We do not kidnap schoolchildren. We do not decapitate soldiers.
“Let the Nigerian state and its handlers focus on their collapsing economy, their unpaid salaries, their security implosion, and their crumbling international reputation. Stop chasing shadows in Biafra land.”
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