We Are Not Behind Killing Of Security Personnel In Imo — IPOB

The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the gruesome killing of a Joint Task Force (JTF) team at Ehime Mbano in Imo State.

The group in a statement signed by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Thursday said it’s movement since 2012 has been peaceful until some interest groups started sponsoring splinter groups to sabotage them and their leader Nnamdi Kanu.

He said: “Such reckless attacks and shedding of blood are not needed to achieve Biafra freedom in our territory. The Biafra agitation championed by IPOB since 2012 has been totally peaceful until some interest started sponsoring splinter groups in order to blackmail IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“We in IPOB for years have been shouting about the evil plan of the government towards IPOB’s peaceful agitation which is simply demanding a referendum date for the Biafran people to determine their own fate as Indigenous people.

“They shouldn’t feign ignorance or claim to be surprised because they are working with the perpetrators of that unnecessary attack in order to blackmail IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

Powerful however, charged the police to go after those that murdered their colleagues and not innocent villagers dwelling around the places the crime was committed.

” More often than not, security agencies carry out revenge on ordinary citizens anytime armed criminals attack them. No villager will attack policemen within their village. Therefore, no Ehime Mbano community should be invaded as a result of the attack and murder of the security officers.

“IPOB doesn’t encourage people to murder or waste innocent people’s lives because lives are sacred and must be preserved and protected. We encourage Nigeria security to use their intelligence prowess to fish out the perpetrators.”