• Says priority is Kanu’s freedom’
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned against being linked to a sit-at-home order in the South East during the February 25 election.
According to IPOB, a mushroom group called Pan Nigeria President of Igbo Extraction Coalition (PANPIEC) was blackmailing it and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) with the purported sit-at-home enforcement.
In a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB was emphatic that it had no plans or intentions to order any sit-at-home during the election period.
Powerful said the by Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB had never adopted forceful obstruction of elections as a tool in Biafra struggle.
Though, he said IPOB once called for election boycott, he said the order was later called off at that period.
He said: “We have maintained that we don’t have any interest in the Nigeria political selection process called Nigeria elections scheduled for February 25. Our interest and focus is the release of Kanu and the date for Biafra referendum for Biafrans to determine their political future in or outside Nigeria.
“We knew this mushroom group called PANPIEC is among those sponsoring this fake group claiming that they are IPOB issuing and enforcing reckless sit-at-homes in the South East. Why do they keep linking the paid agents of confusion with us even as IPOB. It’s on record and in the public domain that IPOB has not called for any sit-at-home during February election. It’s also obvious that IPOB and Eastern Security Network do not have any faction or splinter groups. IPOB remains peaceful and indivisible under one command for the liberation of Biafra nation from Nigeria.
“We reiterate for the records that, IPOB has not, did not and will not issue any sit-at-home order in February during the elections period. We also did not call for any boycott of the upcoming elections yet. Nobody should blame or link IPOB to the statements or actions of government agents operating in the eastern region.
“The focus of IPOB is the release from detention of our leader, Kanu, whom Appeal Court and other courts have discharged and acquitted since October 13, 2022, and Biafra referendum date.”
Powerful, therefore, declared any group claiming to be IPOB while issuing sit-at-home orders are criminals and state sponsored agents and do not represent the IPOB led by Kanu.