IPOB members on parade: IPOB disowns enforcers, vows to punish them

Okafor Ofiebor

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has given indication that its agitations for the Republic of Biafra may have been infiltrated by miscreants who are enforcing the Monday’s sit-at-home order it declared to force the Federal Government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The group issued the statement following condemnations over viral video showing alleged members of IPOB driving students and teachers away from Okporo Secondary School in Njaba council area of Imo State, on Monday.

The yet-to-be-identified person had dispersed the students taking their WAEC examination and set motorcycles belonging to their invigilators ablaze in the process.

But reacting to the condemnations that had trailed the incident,  IPOB in a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, insisted that it had long suspended the weekly sit-at-home order because of its economic implications on the people.

He therefore warned that anybody caught intimidating the people  to obey the “purported non-existent sit-at-home order” would be treated as a traitor-cum-enemy of the people and “must be dealt with.”

Powerful said, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again, that we have no other sit-at-home order after 14th September.

“Any other purported sit-at-home including the suspended weekly sit-at-home on Mondays does not exist in the dairy of IPOB. In fact, after September 14, there is no other sit-at-home this week. Any contrary news or speculations to this effect should be ignored.”

“Anybody trying to enforce any sit-at-home order using the name of IPOB is a saboteur, and does so at his peril. If we catch anybody disturbing the peace of Biafrans or residents in Biafra land under the guise of enforcing non-existent sit-at-home order, such a person will regret his actions because he will receive the reward of traitors.”

“IPOB is a responsible organization with reasoning and empathy. We cannot be part of the problem we are trying to solve. We cannot join the enemies to compound the woes of our people we are fighting to liberate.

“That was why we suspended the ghost Mondays that we earlier declared because of the economic implications to our people. We listened to appeals by the people and reviewed our stance on the matter then. That was why we reduced the sit-at-home protests to the days our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be making appearances in court. That is enough for now and we stand by it.”

IPOB has also condemned the attack on Okporo Secondary School in Njaba council area of Imo State, on Monday.

The group described the attack as barbaric, heinous and stupid while vowing to deal ruthlessly with those behind the act.

“On this note, IPOB strongly condemn the barbaric act by hoodlums and mentally deranged fellows who disrupted a WAEC exam in a school in Imo State on Monday. What a stupid madness! Whoever was behind such barbarity must be made to pay for their actions,” Powerful said.

“IPOB leadership is hereby promising to replace those motorbikes burnt in the school to their owners and rebuild school blocks burnt by hoodlums in the name of ESN and IPOB volunteers.

“This is not to portray or indicate that IPOB committed the heinous crimes against our people and promise to set up taskforce to checkmate those parading themselves as IPOB volunteers and those committing this crime against humanity and our people.

“We plead to Biafrans to bear with us for this dastardly act against humanity they are using to disrepute and demonize IPOB in the world. We are calling on the school management and those their properties were destroyed to contact any IPOB office near to them for possible payments of their properties.”