The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied three persons arrested by the Anambra State Police Command for extorting members of the public and issuing death threats. The men were arrested in Umunze and Ozubulu, Orumba South and Ekwusigo Local Government Areas.
The suspects, posing as commanders of the militant wing of IPOB, Eastern Security Network (ESN), specialize in sending messages to residents and threatening to kill or kidnap them and their relatives, except they pay some specified sums of money. But IPOB in a statement by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, denied that no member of IPOB extorts from the public.
The secessionist group accused the police of deliberately working to tarnish its image by leveling allegations. “IPOB and ESN are not criminals. But because the Nigerian government wants to bring IPOB down and turn Biafrans against ESN, they constantly create fake news against the movement.
“When they cannot create any blackmail or propaganda against IPOB and ESN, they link every crime in Biafra Land against IPOB and ESN. In the southeast today, Nigeria DSS has created several criminal gangs to claim to be IPOB and ESN when arrested by security operatives. “Some of these criminals were given police and army uniforms for their covert criminal operations. Even when some petty criminals are caught, the Nigerian Security Forces will force them to confess to being IPOB or ESN members.
It is laughable that the Nigeria Police Force would constantly ridicule themselves in desperation to blackmail IPOB. “IPOB and ESN do not call and threaten our people to support the movement. Neither do we engage in any activity that will harm the same people we are working to protect. “The most IPOB can do is to solicit voluntary financial support from spirited Biafrans for sustenance of ESN to continue in their core duty of protecting our lands from Fulani invaders. No one has or can be threatened to support the struggle.”
