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IPOB
Protesters Photo credit: Daily Post Nigeria
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The South East Governors’
Forum has announced the proscription of activities of the Indigenous Peoples of
Biafra (IPOB).
Media
reports continue:
Arising
from its emergency meeting on Friday in Enugu, Chairman of the forum, Gov. Dave
Umahi of Ebonyi requested the group and other of such groups to articulate
their grievances and send to the forum.
Umahi
appealed to all governors in the zone to ensure compliance with the directive
in their various states and for the Federal Government to withdraw the troops
in the zone.
Umahi
said: “All activities of IPOB are, hereby, proscribed. IPOB and all other
aggrieved groups are advised to articulate their position on all national
issues.
“Such
should be submitted to the committee of governors, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and
National Assembly members from the South East zone through the chairman of the
South East Governors’ Forum,” he said.
The
Ebonyi governor said that the forum believed in the unity and indivisibility of
the country and reinforced their desire for the restructuring of the country.
“We
reinforce our desire for the restructuring of Nigeria where all national issues
will be discussed and amicably settled to achieve justice and fairness to every
Nigerian.
“Accordingly,
we appeal to President Muhammad Buhari to, please, withdraw the military in the
South East zone, while police perform their traditional role of maintaining law
and order,” he said.
Umahi
said that the forum was in touch with their northern counterparts “who have
assured us of the safety of our people living in the north and we have also
planned for exchange of visits to reinforce confidence.
“We
wish to assure Nigerians that full investigation is ongoing on all allegations
of killings, maiming and other unlawful conduct in the zone within this
period,” he said.
He
said that appropriate actions would be taken against those found culpable.
Umahi
said that governors in the zone had taken adequate measures to protect the
lives and property of indigenes and non-indigenes and urged northern governors
to do same in their respective states.
“We
advise all residents of the zone to go about their normal businesses as
governments of each state is committed to protecting everybody,“ he said.
The
governor said that all those invited for the meeting were present except the
leadership of IPOB that sent in their apologies.
Media reports that at the meeting were governors of
Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu while Imo was represented by the deputy
governor.
Other
notable personalities that attended the meeting were the Deputy Senate
President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, the General Officer Commanding 82 Division,
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Abubakar and the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief
Nnia Nwodo.
Nigerian Military Declares
IPOB “Terrorist Organization”
PREMIUM
TIMES reports that the Nigerian military has declared the pro-Biafra separatist
group, IPOB, a “terrorist organization.”
The
military made the declaration in a statement on Friday by the Director of
Defence Information, John Enenche.
Clashes
between soldiers on a military operation and IPOB members in Abia State have
left several people wounded. Although there have been reports of deaths
particularly of IPOB members, none has been confirmed.
IPOB
and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu are campaigning for an independent country of
Biafra made up of ethnic Igbos. Although they had said their campaign was
non-violent, Mr. Kanu said this week that that stance would be reviewed,
accusing the military of attacking unharmed members of his organization.
PREMIUM
TIMES also reported how the police in Abia State blamed IPOB for the burning of
a police station in Aba, where a dusk to dawn curfew has since been imposed.
In
his statement, Mr. Enenche, a major general, listed five reasons the military
considered for labelling IPOB a terror group.
These
include “The formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed formation of Biafra
National Guard, unauthorized blocking of public access roads; extortion of
money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks, and militant possession
and use of weapons (stones, Molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles
among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.”
Read
the military’s full statement below.
PUBLIC
AWARENESS ON THE STATE OF INDEPENDENT PEOPLE OF BIAFRA
1.
The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) group which has posed to be a security
challenge in the Country, has been metamorphosing from one stage to the other.
After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become
expedient, to notify the general public that; the claim by IPOB actors that the
organization is non-violent is not true. Hence, the need to bring to public
awareness the true and current state of IPOB. In this regard, some of their
actions, clandestinely and actively, that has been terrorizing the general
public among others include;
a.
The formation of a Biafra Secret Service.
b.
Claimed formation of Biafra National Guard.
c.
Unauthorized blocking of public access roads.
d.
Extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.
e.
Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, Molotov cocktails, machetes and
broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.
f.
Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a
check point on 11 September 2017 and also attempts to snatch their rifles.
g.
Attack by IPOB members, on a military check point on 12 September 2017, at
Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.
3.
From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to confirm to the
general public that IPOB from all intent, plan and purpose as analyzed, is a
militant terrorist organization. Therefore, parents and particularly
unsuspecting residents of the South East and other Nigerians should advice
their wards to desist from joining the group.
4. The Defence Headquarters restates its commitment to handling all the security challenges in the Country and further assures all Nigerians of the protection of lives and property.
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