IPoB Denies Army’s Claim, Says ESN Members Work from Home, Have No Camps
Indigenous People of Biafra, yesterday reacted to the alleged military dislodgement of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, camps at Okugwe and Isukwuato, describing it as usual propaganda of the Nigerian Army.
The pro-Biafra group in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful entitled, purported Military dislodgement of ESN camps at Okigwe and Isukwuato, are lies and propaganda” said that it has consistently stated that it does not maintain any camp anywhere in the South East, as ESN operatives work from their respective homes.
IPoB further stated that the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Police consistent claim of dislodging IPoB-ESN operatives camps is to destroy their name and to give the wrong impression that the group is associated with crimes being perpetrated in South East by agents of the government at the state and federal levels.
IPoBs statement read, “The great family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, led by the great and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, wish to debunk the fallacious and fabricated propaganda peddled by the Nigerian government and her military that they dislodged IPoB-ESN camps at Okigwe in Imo State and Isiukwuato in Abia State.”
“IPoB-ESN had severally disassociated itself from the so-called camps at Okigwe and Isukwuato, including Orsu, Orlu, Imo State and Orsumoghu Anambra State respectively, that the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Police always claimed to have dislodged IPoB-ESN operatives from.
” Even when the Nigerian security forces are much aware that the criminals operating those camps are their sponsored infiltrators, claiming to be Liberation Army, yet the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police keeps maliciously claim that those people are IPoB/ESN operatives.
“The criminals operating camps have no relationship with the IPoB movement nor ESN operatives, but the Nigerian government keeps pushing the same wrong narrative against IPoB. In the first place, the objective of recruiting the criminals was to use them to infiltrate and destroy the genuine self determination agitation, championed by IPoB.
“However, the pressure from IPoB leadership and media warriors forced the infiltrators to abandon their false claim of being ESN to their real identity as criminals and infiltrators with the code name ‘Biafra Liberation Army’.
Read Also:
“IPoB demands that the Nigerian government, the Nigerian Army and Police should call those they attacked and dislodged by their names and leave IPoB and ESN alone. It is normal in Nigeria that when criminals are arrested, they are paraded for the world to see. If the Nigeria Army and the Police are honest in their claims of constantly arresting and dislodging IPoB and ESN members, they should parade them so the world can see the people they arrested and dislodged.
“IPoB foiled the plans by the Nigerian government recruited criminals to infiltrate IPoB and ESN. These criminals were used in committing heinous crimes against Biafrans, such as kidnapping for ransom, enforcement of false sit-at-home, car snatching, and assassination of persons just to blackmail IPoB movement, but honest people of South East, Nigerians and the world knows how IPoB and ESN operate and are equally aware that we have zero tolerance for any criminal activity, and the ones mentioned in this statement.
“The Hope Uzodimma led Imo State government held a secret negotiation with those recruited and sponsored criminals to drop their weapons. When these criminals refused to hand over their weapons, the Nigerian government declared war on them and started dislodging them from their camps.
“Instead of the Nigerian security agencies to call these criminals by their rightful name or names, they maliciously call them IPoB-ESN just to continue destroy our name with their weak propaganda and blackmail against genuine Biafra agitation led by IPoB and its leader Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu.
“The Nigerian military cannot claim ignorance or of not knowing the difference between the genuine IPoB-ESN and their sponsored criminals. However, desperation to damage the reputation of the hallowed image of IPoB is driving them to dish out frivolous propaganda and charges against us.
“These State sponsored criminals are among the criminal elements that ESN operatives are confronting in their efforts to keep Biafra land peaceful. ESN operatives are not happy with the criminal activities perpetrated by these infiltrators and criminals recruited by the Nigerian government and DSS in order to demonize the IPoB movement and ESN operatives.
“The Nigerian government and her murderous security agencies must understand that Biafra agitation is still peaceful and can’t be provoked into violence or criminality. Since the formation of ESN in 2020, no operative of ESN has been killed for any involvement in criminal activities.
“The Nigerian government and her security agencies should stop funding and fueling insecurity in Biafra land, particularly in the South East Region. IPoB and ESN will never be intimidated by the use of brutal force or media blackmail and propaganda.
“IPoB’s agitation for self-determination and a UN supervised referendum are lawful. If the Nigerian government should give Biafrans the chance to exercise their fundamental constitutional right via a referendum, we will drop our agitation. Anything short of this demand is a waste of time and resources.”
