From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has, again, absolved itself of violent crimes in the South East.
Spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful, who reacted to a recent utterance by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and Abdulrashid Yerima, said such comments were cheap blackmail against Igbo.
He said: “It will be callous and treacherous for Kalu to link IPOB to the infamous sit-at-home and violence in the South East while ignoring the government’s double agent (Simon Ekpa) that lives in Finland.
“Kalu should know better and stop politicking with IPOB. For a supposedly informed Igboman to join Ndigbo’s enemies in northern Nigeria to blackmail IPOB is pitiful.
“As for Yerima, who joined in blackmailing IPOB, he should be asked how many times he has condemned his bandits and terrorists brothers ravaging the northern parts of Nigeria? Has Yerima travelled to his village without paying ransom or settling bandits and terrorists controlling his region? What gave him the temerity to talk about insecurity in the South East.
“Yerima is a tribal bigot who is speaking out of hatred against Ndigbo and the IPOB agenda. He and his political and tribal colluders cannot claim ignorance that IPOB has consistently disassociated themselves from the criminal activities and violence, including the infamous sit-at-home order in the East.
“All efforts to blackmail IPOB with sponsored insecurity in Biafra land have been defeated by IPOB.
“We warn Yerima about his unguarded utterances against IPOB and instead focus his energy on curbing the activities of bandits and Boko Haram terrorists that are controlling the northern regions of the country.
“Since the beginning of Boko Haram and bandit terrorists’ activities in the North, Yerima has not publicly condemned them but has the audacity to speak against IPOB as being responsible for insecurity in the East. He and his cohorts must understand that IPOB is not joking with our quest for Biafra independence. IPOB can not halt our march for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu or the restoration of Biafra because of political expediency, ethnic bigotry and ethnic cleansing, or their other tactics of evil profiling of Biafrans, particularly Ndigbo.”
The IPOB spokesperson also described the utterances as an incitement but vowed to remain calm.
“The sponsors and purveyors of insecurity, violence, abductions, and killings of Biafrans want to provoke us into unprepared war to give opportunity to Nigeria security forces to slaughter our mothers, fathers, and our little children in another genocidal war, but we are wiser, and we shall beat them in their own game. In the end, Biafra shall be restored,” he said.