The Indigenous Individuals of Biafra mentioned on Wednesday that it had no intention to drive Igbo folks to resign from the Nigerian Military and different safety businesses.
The separatist group additionally denied the Nigerian Military’s allegations that its members kidnapped and assaulted a soldier despatched to the South-East to spy on the Biafra motion.
The Director of Military Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, had claimed in a press assertion on Sunday that Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed chief of IPOB, circulated a video displaying the torture of retired Corporal Toriola Adewale.
The Nigerian Military strongly condemned the alleged assault on the retired soldier, which it attributed to IPOB members.
However in a response on Wednesday, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Highly effective, dismissed the Military’s claims as “propaganda” and a “self-staged crime” by the Nigerian Military’s management.
Highly effective argued that the video of an kidnapped “spying soldier,” who was reportedly pressured to name for the resignation of Biafran troopers from the Nigerian Military, was a “false flag operation” and never produced by IPOB.
In keeping with him, the IPOB Directorate of State has lengthy distanced itself from Simon Ekpa, however the Nigerian Military continues to hyperlink IPOB with Ekpa to tarnish the group’s fame.
He mentioned, “The Directorate of State of IPOB needs to debunk the Nigerian Military’s concocted propaganda that peaceable and unarmed IPOB activists kidnapped a Nigerian soldier despatched to Biafra land to spy on the Biafra motion and compelled him to name for the resignation of Biafran troopers within the Nigerian Military.
“The propaganda from the Nigerian Military spokesperson claiming that IPOB captured a spying Nigerian soldier and compelled him to ship a message to Biafran troopers to resign is a self-staged crime by the Nigerian Military’s management. Though IPOB has known as for Biafrans serving in Nigerian safety businesses to resign, IPOB has by no means and can by no means drive our brothers and sisters within the Nigerian safety businesses to resign underneath duress.
“IPOB can solely enchantment to the conscience of Biafrans however won’t ever impose something on anybody at gunpoint. The Biafra Nation IPOB is championing, which is a nation the place rights are assured and revered, guides our folks via reasoning.”
“The so-called video of an kidnapped spying soldier is one other false flag operation by the Nigerian Military and their provocateurs to proceed their murderous onslaught in opposition to Ndigbo. The Nigerian Military has lowered itself to mere social media gossip.”
“IPOB didn’t abduct any Nigerian soldier. The Military spokesperson ought to cease linking IPOB to their legal brokers of their efforts to destabilize the South-East. IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu don’t have any relationship with the so-called Biafra Liberation Military.”
In keeping with Highly effective, IPOB doesn’t have a military and won’t set up one till Biafra is restored.
He added that IPOB operates solely the Jap Safety Community, an armed vigilante group concentrating on marauding Fulani terrorists.
“The decision by the Nigerian Military to the ICC, UN, and Amnesty Worldwide to take motion in opposition to IPOB is null and void as a result of these establishments know the reality about IPOB actions. They function underneath worldwide legal guidelines and respect the suitable to self-determination. IPOB has not violated the legal guidelines governing self-determination.
“These establishments additionally perceive that IPOB is non-violent and that IPOB members are persecuted by the corrupt Nigerian authorities and its murderous safety businesses. There’s ample proof of the Nigerian authorities’s repression of peaceable IPOB members.
“The Nigerian authorities and its safety businesses ought to cease blackmailing IPOB. Our non-violent method shouldn’t be mistaken for weak spot. It’s our respect for worldwide legal guidelines governing self-determination, not an indication of weak spot,” he mentioned.