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Tag: IPOB

  • IPOB: Anambra Govt to monitor workers

    The Anambra Government says it will sanction staff of the civil service who fail to report to office on May 30 in compliance with the IPOB sit at home order.

    The directive for workers to return to work after may 29 Democracy Day celebration was given in a circular from the office of Mr Harry Uduh, Head of Service in the state.

    The government asked permanent secretaries and heads of departments and agencies to monitor the situation and report accordingly.

    According to the memo, the “Governor of Anambra has directed that work resumes on Wednesday, 30th May after the Public Holiday on 29th May.

    “All Public Servants must therefore report to their duty posts on Wednesday and the rest of the week.

    “Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Ministries, Department and Agencies should monitor and report compliance unfailingly.

    Pls circulate to all your staff,” it said.

    In a related development, C-Don Adinuba, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in Anambra, said the state government had not declared public holiday on May 30.

    Adinuba, in a statement, therefore called on public servants therefore, to return to work.

    “All Ndi Anambra are enjoined to freely engage in all their lawful businesses, without fear of molestation.

    “Our state remains not only the safest but also the most peaceful and socially harmonious state in Nigeria,” he said.(NAN)

  • Ebonyi warns IPOB, MASSOB over seat-at-home order

    Ebonyi state government Monday warned the Separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign state of Biafra, MASOB to steer away from the state or face the consequences.

    It also urged residents of the state to ignore the seat-at-home order issued by the pro biafran agitators for the 30th of May and go about their lawful businesses on the said date.

    IPOB and a faction of MASSOB had issued an order urging Igbos to seat-at-home on Wednesday, 30th of May, 2018, to commemorate the declaration of Independence of Biafra by late Biafra war lord, Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu.

    IPOB was last year declared a terrorist group by the federal government while its activities were proscribed in the South East by Governors of the Region under the leadership of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state.

    Read Also:IPOB sit-at-home: Police, others hold joint show of force

    During a press briefing on Monday, Senior Special Assistant to the governor David Umahi on Internal Security, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, said the state has adopted all necessary security measures and nothing of such would take place in the state.

    “You recall that in 2017, there was this idea of sit-at-home by those who call themselves Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and that brought some chaos in some big cities like Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo, but in Ebonyi here we have always been lucky. God has always being with us and with the proactive measures we adopted, we were able to handle the situation.

    “You could equally recall that the activities of IPOB have been proscribed by the southeast governor’s forum which our Governor, Engr. David Nweze UMAHI is the chairman.

    “Now, we have started gathering security information and reports that people are going to sit-at-home on 30th of May. But the governor has directed us to inform the public that there is nothing like sit-at-home on 30th May. We don’t allow it in Ebonyi state. It can never be observed here. We don’t recognise it and it has nothing to do with Ebonyi stats.

    “The activities of IPOB has been proscribed. As government, one of the responsibilities we owe the people is to ensure the protection of lives and property.

    “So, everybody is expected to go about their lawful businesses. The security agencies are already on alert and proper security measures have been put in place to ensure that every law abiding citizen of the state go about their normal business without interruption,” he said.

    Ugbala said Ebonyi state government would not tolerate any plot to sabotage its efforts in developing the state’s economy.

     

  • IPOB disowns sit-at-home order, tells Ndigbo to ignore Chika Edoziem group

    Igbos across Nigeria and beyond havebeen called upon to ignore the May 30 sit-at-home order by a character purportedly acting on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB led by Mazi Chika Edoziem.

     

    The National Secretariat of IPOB in a statement on Tuesday distanced itself from the recent order asking Igbos not to go out on Tuesday in the interest of the symbolism of the 30th Remembrance of the defunct Biafra.

     

    According to them, the day represents an enduring epitaph that recalls many great feats, struggles and tribulations.

     

    Speaking on the development, however, Anayo Mbakwe, Director, Strategic Communication, IPOB National Secretariat, called on Igbos to disregard the order and go about their business on the said date.

     

     

    Mbakwe, affirmed that the statement emanating from the Mazi Chika Edoziem-led faction should be disregarded in its entirety, insisting that the order did not have the blessing of its supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu..

     

    He said, “We received with utter shock and amazement, the laughable buzzing news both in the traditional and social media,   signed and circulated by one Mazi Chika Edoziem, purportedly claiming to be Head, Directorate of State of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra  (IPOB).

     

    “The National Secretariat of IPOB  in Nigeria wish to state clearly and in unmistaken terms that the said press statement emanating from Mazi Chika  Edoziem  should be discountenanced and disregarded in its totality. We strongly condemn it, as dubious, treacherous, unacceptable, illegal and a mockery of the grandeur ideology of  our Supreme leader,  Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose aspirations and target is to achieve a peaceful and rancor-free independent  Biafran state.

     

    “Please permit us to put it on record that our secession struggles are henceforth not anchored on coerciveness, violence, breach of public peace, deaths and such allied criminal acts.  Those conversant with the new inclination of our Leader, Mazi Kanu, would have known that we have adopted a persuasive and non-violent diction and approach to our separatism agitations.

     

    “Therefore, Mazi Chika Edoziem and his co-travellers are imposters and strangers in our midst who have always sabotaged and exploited the activities of IPOB for personal gains. The faction has  again  dubiously  usurped IPOB’s   platform to cause confusion, in order to  extort and dupe unsuspecting members of the public, especially Southeasterners’ in the pretension of Remembrance Day for Biafran  fallen heroes and Heroines of the Nigerian civil strife of 1967-70, by issuing the illegal sit-at-home order.

     

     

    “For the avoidance of doubt now and in the future, may we plead the understanding of Nigerians on these in-house betrayers.  We wish to document that any genuine and authentic press statement,   media or publicity engagement of the public from IPOB’s national secretariat on such a serious issue, which is duly authorized, with the stamp and seal of our Supreme Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu  is released to the public and signed by Mazi  Emma Powerful, IPOB’s media and publicity secretary.

     

    “The designation, office of Head, Directorate of State of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra as flaunted by Mazi Chika Edoziem in the said public statement does not exist in our organizational organogram. He is simply and plainly, a renegade, cheat, an impostor and a criminal who has prepared his armed hooligans’ and miscreants to violently invade the Southeast on May 30, 2018, to kill, maim, loot and abduct scores of our kith and kin in demand for ransom to enrich themselves.

     

    “The statement does not originate from us and it is a betrayal of the cause,  our Supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi  Kanu has placed his life on the line these past years.  We cannot allow the glaring attempts by selfish and frenzied individuals in our midst to truncate or jeopardize the Biafran cause or derail IPOB’s focus in pursuing the interest of Igbo nation on the secession struggles.

     

    “We remember with much sadness that the same Mazi Edoziem’s faction  has  clandestinely and consistently  worked with the Federal Government  to sabotage, undermine  and truncate this noble agenda of IPOB. They were the conniving shadows with our “enemies” which led to the forceful invasion of Kanu’s village in order to scar and put permanent fear in the minds of even our diehard loyalists of the struggle.

     

    “All of us know what transpired thereafter and there is no room to allow these same antagonists humiliate our Supreme Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the second time.  We completely reject any attempt by our enemies to re-enact that inglorious saga and we are prepared to fight it conclusively.  They are incompetent to either stab us on the back or ride on our backs to the inglorious fame they are seeking.

     

    “We therefore,   request security agents to immediately apprehend, interrogate and possibly arraign Mazi Chike Edoziem in court on charges of   imposition and acts of treason against the Nigerian state.

     

    “We urge all Ndigbo in the Southeast or domiciled anywhere in Nigeria to go about their normal activities tomorrow, May 30, 2018 without the fear of harassment or molestations. The sit-at-home order grounds   the economy of Igbo nation and does not in any way develop us a people.”

  • IPOB to Ohaneze: Kanu’s disappearance more important than restructuring

    Resolving the disappearance of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu is more important than restructuring, which the apex Igbo socio-political group Ohaneze Ndigbo stressed at its last summit, The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has stated.

    Condemning Ohaneze for not being bothered about the disappearance of one its illustrious sons since last year, IPOB said restructuring is a Nigerian agenda, which shouldn’t concern a pro-Igbo organisation.

    In a statement yesterday by Ikechukwu Nnaji, IPOB accused Ohaneze of joining the federal government in labeling young Igbo men as terrorists.

    IPOB said: “It is shameful the so- called leaders of Ohaneze will gather people in Awka, Anambra to talk about restructuring of Nigeria, which has no bearing with the peoples clamour for Biafra instead of talking about the disappearance and whereabouts of one of their illustrious sons, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

    IPOB reminded Ohaneze that it could not have had the platform to talk about restructuring if not for the bold steps Kanu took to demand for Biafra.

    It noted it was unfortunate that instead of aligning with Kanu to actualise Biafra, the leadership of Ohaneze in collaboration with South east governors betrayed him by aiding the Hausa/Fulani to declare IPOB a terrorist organisation.

    “That the Nigerian government ever spoke of restructuring that has emboldened Ohaneze was as a result of Nnamdi Kanu’s actions.

    “But the so-called Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo feeling it will be wrong for Kanu to take the credit of the emancipation of the Igbo race betrayed him.”

    Condemning the Ohaneze President, particularly IPOB said: “Nnia Nwodo came out to say that Nnamdi Kanu’s approach to the issues of Biafra was too rash and childish and would achieve no results.

    “But now, he has been going about making speeches to people that call themselves Fulani who hardly understand his grammar and at the end he ends up not communicating.”

    The group said it was only Kanu who understood the current structure would never guarantee Igbos their due entitlements in the Nigerian polity and without the entire race giving him support, geopolitical zone would continue to be subservient to others.

     

  • IPOB threat to Ohaneze: JTF begins show of force in Anambra

    The Joint Task Force (JTF) has begun a show of force in Anambra State following threats to disrupt the Igbo summit organised by apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohaneze by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    However, Biafra Reformation Movement (BRM) has threatened to disown IPOB if it fails to withdraw its plan to attack Ohaneze at the summit holding tomorrrow at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.

    State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr. Haruna Mohammed, told our correspondent the command was ready for anybody or group in any form.

    The Superintendent of Police said the show of force by the JTF had already been in place with more men deployed in all the strategic places in the state.

    Our correspondent yesterday counted over 13 security pick up vans loaded with security operatives from the Police, Army, Navy and paramilitary outfits such as Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Civil Defence among others parading the nooks and cranny of Awka.

    Leader of BRM, Ndubuisi Igwekani, told our correspondent that the Biafra family would disown IPOB if it fails to soft pedal on its stance against the Ohaneze summit.

    He said IPOB should know there was a trap against the Igbo struggle, adding no right thinking Igbo person should plan to disrupt the summit.

    However, he said the focal point of Viagra movements should be how to actualise the May 30 celebrations of all the Biafran heroes, not disruption of the summit.

    “We warn IPOB to withdraw its threat against Ohaneze because it will not be in the interest of our struggle,” he stressed.

    He maintained it would be stupid of any Igbo group to give the Federal Government an opportunity to attack Ndigbo again, adding he decided to keep quiet for a long time because Raph Uwazuruike messed up Biafran movement.

    Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign of Biafra (MASSOB) Uchenna Madu, told our correspondent that attacking Ohaneze was not the right thing to do by any one or group.

    Meanwhile the threat had heightened tension in Anambra State with residents expressing apprehension ahead of the summit.

    But despite warnings from security and Biafran bodies, IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful insisted the group would not be cowed or intimidated.

     

  • Biafra Day: IPOB issues sit-at-home order in South East

    THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday issued a sit-at-home order in the Southeast on Wednesday, May 30 in memory of the casualties of the civil war.

    The Publicity Secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, said there will be no vehicular, human or animal movement in Abia,Anambra,Ebonyi,En ugu and Imo states on the day.

    The sit-at-home,according to Powerful, will be preceded by special midnight prayers on May 29 in churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship as well as special vigils at the homes of select Biafran heroes.

    The group also asked residents of areas affected by the Fulani herdsmen attacks across the country to join in the sit-at-home in remembrance of their loved ones killed by the herders.

    IPOB stated that it was the sacrifice of those killed in the civil war that has made it possible for the current generation of Nigerians to be alive. He said:“This year’s remembrance will be special because it will present a unique moment of shared pains and misery for all the families that lost their loved ones to war, hunger, disease and terrorism.”

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last September declared the activities of IPOB acts of terrorism. This followed an application filed by the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami who also asked the court to proscribe the group.

  • IPOB: Court fixes May 21 to rule on bail application filed by member

    The Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday fixed May 21 to rule on the bail application filed by Bright Chimezie, the first defendant, in the ongoing trial of four members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB).

    The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, fixed the date after taking arguments from Chimezie’s counsel, Mr Chukwudi Igwe and counsel to the Federal Government, Mr Collins Aromosele.

    Igwe asked the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that he had overstayed in detention without trial, adding that his client had already been granted bail by an Uyo Federal High which the Federal Government disregarded.

    He maintained that his client was eager to see how the prosecution would prove their case against him and to this effect, granting him bail would not jeopardise the trial in anyway.

    He said that his client would not temper with the case and would attend court to defend the charge against him.

    Aromosele opposed the bail application, and urged the court to dismiss it.

    Counsel to the second to fourth defendants, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, also argued the bail applications on behalf of their clients.

    Mr Eric Ifere, counsel to Onwudiwe prayed the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that the constitution provided that accused should be granted bail if trial did not commence within two months.

    “The defendant has been in detention for close to two years and except where Section 162 is applicable, which passes the onus to the prosecution to prove that if granted bail, the defendant will temper with justice.

    “They are also to prove that the defendant will jump bail and not attend court and they can only prove this with evidence placed before the court.”

    Mr P. Ejiofor, counsel to Madubugwu, on his part, prayed the court to grant his client bail on health grounds.

    He further prayed the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that he had stayed long in detention, adding that there was no objection to the application for bail.

    “One of the reasons we want the court to consider is the health of the defendant whose medical records are before the court and medical experts have recommended that he needs further medical care beyond the walls of the prison.

    “Also, the time he has spent in detention is almost equal to the amount of time stipulated as punishment for one convicted of the crime he is charged for.”

    The prosecuting counsel, however, asked the court for time to enable him respond to the bail application of the second to fourth defendants.

    The defence team had also hinted the court that they had an application challenging the competence of the charges against the defendants.

    Justice Nyako adjourned the matter until May 21 to rule on the bail application of Chimezie and to allow the prosecution respond to applications of the second to fourth defendants.

    The Federal Government on March 20, re-arraigned Chimezie, Onwudiwe, Madubugwu and Nwawuisi, on an amended three-count charge.

    Their re-arraignment was sequel to the severance of their trial from that of Nnamdi Kanu, whose whereabouts had been unknown since September, 2017.

    They are standing trial for charges bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, improper importation of goods and illegal possession of firearms.

  • Police arrest four IPOB members in Anambra

    The Anambra State Police Command, has arrested four suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for disobedience. In a statement yesterday, the police through the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Princess Nkeiruka Nwode, said the group remained a terrorist group. According to Nwode, items recovered from the four included, Biafra flags, two metal gongs, four motorcycles, one Suzuki bus among other things.

    “Following the declaration of IPOB as a terror organisation by the Federal Government on 20th September, 2017, and as part of the concerted efforts of the Anambra State Police Command to rid the state of criminal elements, the command today arrested four members of the group,while other members of the proscribed group fled to unknown destination. “The arrested persons confessed to be members of the IPOB and will be charged to court for prosecution. “The Anambra State Police Command condemns in the strongest term the heinous and the cowardly activities by this group and still calls on the members of the public to avoid associating themselves with such group as anybody caught will face a maximum jail term in accordance to the law”

  • IPOB: Produce Kanu or go to jail, court tells Abaribe, others

    Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and two others to produce leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu or risk imprisonment.

    Justice Binta Nyako said this in a ruling at the resumption of proceedings yesterday in the case of treasonable felony involving Kanu.

    Abaribe, representing Abia South, Tochukwu Uchendu and a Jewish High Priest, Emmanuel Shallom Ben, signed a N100m bond each on April 25 last year as sureties for Kanu, who was granted bail by the court on health ground.

    Kanu has since failed to attend subsequent proceedings in the case, prompting the trial judge to, on October 10, 2017, order the three sureties to either produce Kanu in court or risk either being sent to jail or to forfeit the N100m bail bond they each endorsed.

    On February 20, 2018, Justice Nyako ordered Abaribe and his co-sureties to, at the next hearing date, either produce Kanu in court or show cause why they should not be imprisoned or forfeit the bail bond.

    When proceedings resumed yesterday, Abaribe and others were present. Prosecuting lawyer Shuaibu Labaran informed  the court that the business of the day was for the sureties to show cause why they should not forfeit the bail bond or be imprisoned for failing to produce Kanu in court as ordered.

    Lawyer to Abaribe, Chukwuma Umeh, (SAN), Franklin Chude representing Uchendu and Alloy Ejimakor  objected to Labaran’s position.

    Umeh noted that an enrolled copy of the court’s order of February 20, 2018, was not served on the sureties including his client.

    He said: “My lord, the ruling of your lordship has not been served on us, and an order having not been served on a party cannot be used against the party,  Umeh argued.

    Chudi and Ejimafor alligned themselves with Umah and urged the court to discountenance Labaran’s application that the sureties be made to show cause why Kanu was still absent in court.

    Responding, the prosecution counsel argued that “justice cannot be sacrificed on the altar of technicality”.

    Labaran pointed out that Abaribe’s lawyer had been appearing in the case since 2017. He noted that Umeh had filed an application justifying why Abaribe cannot be made to produce Kanu in court.

    Labaran said he has responded to Umeh’s application. He said: “We have joined issues with the 1st surety on his application, but his sudden u-turn this afternoon is belated.”

    He  urged the court to disregard the arguments by lawyers to Abaribe and others and proceed with the business of the day.

    In a ruling, Justice Nyako ordered that an enrolled copy of the court’s February 20, 2018 order be served on Abaribe and his co-sureties to enable them produce Kanu on the next day of show cause why they should not be jailed or forfeit their bail bond.

    The judge adjourned to June 26.

  • IPOB challenges court’s jurisdiction in trial of members

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High court, Abuja, to continue the trial of four of its members for treasonable felony, claiming that its counsels have filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection in that regard. A statement by comrade Emma Powerful, Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, said the pro-Biafra group instructed its lawyers to challenge the court’s jurisdiction and prayed it to strike out the charge of ‘Treasonable Felony’ against the defendants.

    The group presented the plea on the grounds of what a prosecution witness said that “agitating for self-determination or secession is not a crime known to any Nigerian Law.” Powerful said that the witness, identified merely as AB, to hide his true identity, as directed by the presiding judge, is a DSS officer that claimed that he “investigated” Bright Chimezie, one of the defendants after he was arrested by the DSS at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, the witness also testified that Chimezie was an IPOB ‘Welfare Officer in charge of giving money donated by IPOB members to assist widows of IPOB members killed by security agents during their demonstrations on self-determination.’ He added that “IPOB was not an illegal group and belonging to it was not illegal when Chimezie was arrested.” The IPOB publicity secretary said it was as a result of the testimony of the prosecution witness, that the group’s lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the court.

    “If according to the government witness, IPOB was not an illegal group when Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in October 2015, why then is the trial going ahead? Or is it because of the irrational fear of the success that Biafra will become or the morbid Hausa/Fulani hatred for IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu? “Justice Binta Nyako must as a matter of public decency dismiss the frivolous charges, acquit the defendants and apologise to IPOB on behalf of the Nigerian judiciary.

    “We, the worldwide family of the Indigenous People of Biafra wish to draw the attention of the civilised world to what transpired at Justice Binta Nyako’s court in Abuja on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at the commencement of the trial of four innocent Biafrans. The world must know that they are standing trial for offences not known to any law in Nigeria. “The four IPOB family members standing trial have been in illegal detention for nearly three years, with proper trial only commencing now on March 22, 2018. Thankfully, and for the first time in public, the key witness for the Federal Government of Nigeria, admitted in court that being a member of IPOB was not a crime when the defendants were arrested,” said Powerful.