The Nation Newspaper

Tag: IPOB

  • Military rules out negotiations with militants

    The Nigerian military on Thursday ruled out negotiation with the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), warning the militants to stop sabotaging the economy.

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, stated this at the inauguration of the Nigerian Air Force’ (NAF) newly purchased 10 highly-militarised Honker Scorpion vehicles.

    The Nation reports that the vehicles were acquired to enhance the Base Defence Concept (BDC), following the 2013 attack on NAF’s base in Maiduguri.

    Olonisakin, who said the military was bent on asserting its authority and upholding the nation’s dignity, insisted that it will not tolerate any threat to the stability of the nation.

    According to the CDS, the defence architecture was very much in place, advising agitators including the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to seek better ways of airing their grievances.

    “There are better ways to air their grievances than the way they go about it. The right way is to get necessary permit and protest. If they are violent, we will not take it lightly with them.

    “The vehicles being commissioned were procured specifically for the purpose of enhancing security of the air assets within the area of their deployment.

    “The equipments are certainly geared towards raising and maintaining the capability of the regiment troops as they contribute to our collective efforts to address the various security challenges confronting our nation.

    “I must commend the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, for this strategic initiative of providing troops with adequate equipment and for undertaking numerous other projects which culminate into actualising his vision for the NAF.

    “I will like to say that I am very impressed with the CAS’ achievements within the short period of assumption of office. The procurement of these Honker Airfield Defence vehicles is a testimony of the importance the NAF attaches to protection of its critical assets and force protection,” he said.

  • ‘IPOB didn’t kill any policeman in Anambra’

    Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) did not kill any member of the Joint Task Force (JTF) during last Monday’s confrontation between the police and the group in Anambra State, it was learnt yesterday.

    Police Commissioner Hosea Karma broke the news to our reporter in a reply to a text message to the police chief.

    The police command had been quiet on the number of casualties during the incident, although it said it was putting together a list that would be made available to the media.

    But the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the 82 Division of the Army in Enugu, Col. H. A. Gambo, said some of its men were injured and were still receiving treatment at a military hospital.

    Following the mum by the police command, our reporter, on Tuesday, sent a text message to the police commissioner, when a senior police officer said the command lost four men during the fracas.

    In his reply, Karma described the allegation as false.

    Also, the Campaign for Democracy (CD) yesterday decried the alleged deployment of military in the commercial city of Onitsha, following Monday’s fracas.

    In a statement in Onitsha by its National Publicity Secretary, Dede Uzor Dede, the group urged the Federal Government to withdraw the troops.

    According to him, the military has taken over the Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu entrance to Onitsha, the bridge head, Awka Road and other strategic areas in its stop-and-search operation.

    This, CD said, had hampered human and vehicular movements in the city as the gridlock had become unbearable to the residents.

    The statement said: “Commercial activities have been paralysed. A detachment of the men of 302 Brigade in Onitsha has blocked everywhere, harassing innocent persons in the name of stop-and-search.

    “This has caused heavy gridlocks in Onitsha, which has stopped travellers going out and coming into the commercial city. The soldiers should be withdrawn to allow civilians, who are trained in the state, to take over traffic.”

  • IPOB members will be arraigned for murder – Arase

    IPOB members will be arraigned for murder – Arase

    The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has directed that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who were arrested in connection with the killing of three policemen on Monday be charged for murder.

    He also ordered the Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG) and the Commissioners of Police in the affected areas to immediately disarm members of the group.

    Arase while condemning the killing by IPOB members also directed that any member found in possession of firearm be arrested and brought to justice.

    The Force Spokesperson, Olabisi Kolawole, stated these in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The statement said: “IGP Arase also directed the arrest of any member of the group found in possession of firearm and bring him or her to deserved justice, while all IPOB activists arrested in connection with the killing of the policemen should be charged to court for murder.”

  • Police arrest 13 IPOB members in Enugu

    At least 13 suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were on Monday arrested by police for alleged unlawful protest in Enugu.

    The spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the suspects were arrested on Obiagu Road in the Coal City, while commemorating `Biafran fallen heroes and heroines of the 1967 -1970 civil war.

    He said they were apprehended with flags of Biafra.

    Amaraizu said the command had embarked on a surveillance of the state following reports of planned protests.

  • Two Policemen fear dead in clash with MASSOB

    Two Policemen fear dead in clash with MASSOB

    Two policemen were Monday feared dead while two others were injured following clashes with protesters under the auspices of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

    MASSOB are agitating for the release of IPOB henchman Nnamdi Kanu currently standing trial for treasonable felony.

    The group is also agitating for the independence of Biafra from the Nigerian State.

    The Nation gathered that a police patrol van was vandalised by the protesters at Mammy Market junction along Nnebisi road.

    The Nation gathered that trouble started after policemen fired tear gas canisters into the crowd on a peaceful march around Anwai road in Asaba metropolis.

    Following this attack, the crowd regrouped and attack a police patrol team fatally stabbing a policeman in the melee that ensued.

    The Nation reporter who visited the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba where the corpse of the slain cop was deposited observed that the Achilles tendon of the deceased cop was ruptured leading to a pool of blood on the floor by the stretcher upon which the policeman laid.

    Two policemen were reportedly thrown by the protesters into the River Niger, while one of the cop was retrieved and rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba rescue efforts to recover the other one was ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

    The rescued cop had a wound in his navel while he bled from swellings on his forehead. Also the cop had a bruise on his left leg apparently sustained from the fall into the River Niger.

    The Nation gathered that the rescued cop receiving treatment is an Assistant Superintended of Police (ASP) attached to the ‘B’ division.

    Yet a fourth policemen sustained injuries on his left and was admitted at the Federal Medical Centre.

    Efforts to reach the Delta State Police Commissioner, Alkali Baba Usman proved abortive as his number was switched off.

    But acting Delta Police image maker, SP Charles Muka declined comments saying his men were still in the field

    His words,’ I cannot say anything as the policemen are still in the field. I cannot comfim any killing or not.I am awaiting information’.

  • Treat IPOB, other militants like Boko Haram, Northern groups tell FG

    Treat IPOB, other militants like Boko Haram, Northern groups tell FG

    The Coalition of Northern Nigerian organisations under the auspices of Northern Consensus Movement has called on the federal government to treat violent groups, especially in the South East like the terror sect Boko Haram.

    The movement at a press conference in Kaduna yesterday said, “All groups including separatist elements that use violence as an instrument of expression of grievance, such as, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) should be given same treatment as Boko Haram.

    The movement comprises Arewa Liberation Movement, United Arewa Youth Organisation, Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Northern People Unity and Reconciliation Union, Amalgamated Northern Youth for North Central, Northern Youth Assembly, Salvage Nigeria Forum, among others.

    Leader of the movement, Comrade Jibrila Gadzama said it was unfortunate that the North and its people remained unappreciated even when that part of the country accommodated a vast number of Nigerians from other geo-political zones.

    “The North contributed immensely to Nigeria’s foreign reserve earnings through agriculture even before the discovery of petroleum in Nigeria. Our groundnut pyramid era shouldn’t be forgotten so soon,” he said.

    “Regrettably, despite the critical role played by the North and Northerners, we have observed growing tendencies of attacks on our brothers living in the South-eastern part of the country by Southerners with virulent separatist sentiments.

    “Since the last general elections, hundreds of innocent law abiding citizens of northern extraction living in the South-eastern part have been killed in cold blood, with their businesses and property destroyed.

    “This madness cannot be allowed to continue. We therefore demand that full inquiries be conducted into the incidents of aggression against northern citizens residing in the south-east and the perpetrators be brought to justice. And that all lives and property lost be compensated in the appropriate and adequate manner.

    “That adequate protection is given to neighbourhoods, places of worship and businesses of northerners in the south east. It is necessary for all Nigerians to live with one another as a pre-requisite to nation building. This must be done in a spirit of respect and brotherliness. We cannot continue to watch innocent people killed, maimed and brutalized for no reason other than being Northerners.”

     

  • No plans to attack northerners in south east – IPOB

    No plans to attack northerners in south east – IPOB

    The members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have said that they do not have any plans to have a reprisal attacks on northern residents in any part of the South East because of the recent attacks on the people of the zone.

    They said that they are a non violent group and that people should not associate them with cold blooded killing of innocent people in their sleep, like the ones being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in the South East.

    The IPOB stand was made known by the director of media and publicity of the group, Emma Powerful and made available to The Nation in Umuahia, saying that people should stop associating them with killings and bloodletting.

    Emma said that it has become absolutely necessary to state publicly, “That we do not have any intention or plans to attack Northerners resident in the Eastern region in the name of reprisal attacks”.

    He said that the group is forced to make the statement following constant pressures and calls from elders and leaders from all walks of life, stressing that they have never taught in their direction and will never do such.

    Emma said, “We are not a violent organization; we are a peace loving mass movement, with branches in 98 countries, desirous of freedom from a ruthless, tyrannical oppressors who have held us down for decades.

    “We don’t have any reason whatsoever to attack and kill people in cold blood like Fulani herdsmen, despite the mindlessly killing of our people in Port Harcourt, Onitsha Obodo-Ukwu Road, Onitsha Bridge head and while praying at Igbo National College compound in Aba, which we endured with equanimity”.

    The IPOB spokesman recalled that hundreds of their members have been killed and buried, “Suddenly they turned around to falsely accuse us of killing five of their kinsmen, which the whole world rose in our defense, we can never kill people in cold blood, as we are not animals”.

    He said that those calling them and pleadings with them to cancel their threats and ultimatums, should know, that they have never issued any ultimatum after the Uzo-Uwani massacres by the herdsmen.

    Emma therefore urged those pleading with them over fake ultimatum to direct their pleas to rabble rousers and agent provocateurs who found their voices only after the Uzo-Uwani massacre, and are playing to the gallery in order to be noticed.

    He alleged that those pleading with them are sponsored by local politicians to issue threats and ultimatums in the hope that the presidency which has ignored them will invite them to plead with their youths to sheathe their swords.

    Emma said, “The only time we issued an ultimatum to the federal government which they complied two hours before its expiration with was on the issue of the Ugwuleshi 76, these non-existent groups were dumb, deaf and mute”.

    He reiterated that, “We are not planning any attacks; we are committed to a peaceful dissolution of this prison, where some people erroneously believe they are born to rule us.

    Where there is suffering in the midst of plenty, where an unworkable structure is imposed on 180 million people, where ethnic hatred reigns, where others will be working while others will be busy eating the things meant for all”.

  • IPOB slams lawmakers for allowing Grazing Bill

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has berated the Southeast and Southsouth lawmakers in the National Assembly for allowing the Grazing Reserves Bill to pass the second reading at the Senate and the House of Representatives.

    A statement in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, said the National Assembly members from  zones  did not know what they were doing by their action.

    The statement reads: “The national assembly members from the two zones allowing the grazing bill to pass second reading shows that our people in the national assembly were used by their fellow members and they

    were just stooge and they are there for their personal interest and not for their people.

    “We of the IPOB discovered that they have been bought over by their Hausa-Fulani counter parts in the Senate and House of Representatives in Abuja to the detriment of their people who they are representing.

    IPOB is warning them that this is a systematic way of bringing the invaders in our land and they are coming to Islamise us (we children of Chukwu Okike Abiama) God Almighty.

    “We are warning the Southsouth and Southeast, governors to thread with caution because we don’t have places to use as Fulani ranch and any governor who issues a place will bear the consequences and

    posterity will never forgive those who sabotaged his or her people.

    “More so, the highest producers of cows grazing and ranch in the world is Argentina followed by Australia, they have not been ravaging and

    destroying farmland or causing problems with the people, let the northern governors allocate enough land in their state to them because we have no land for cow rearing in Biafra.”

  • IPOB vows to resume protest over Kanu’s detention

    IPOB vows to resume protest over Kanu’s detention

    Members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are to continue the protest in the South East and South South zones over the detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

    IPOB head of media and publicity, Emma Powerful dropped the hint in a statement weekend, saying that IPOB has endured enough waiting for the federal government to release Kanu, who has been in detention since October 14, 2015, following his arrest and ongoing trial.

    Powerful said, “We have endured enough, we will start the protest that will bring the Nigeria government to its knees over its insensitivity over the plight and continued detention of our leader”.

    He said, “The protest was earlier called off not out of cowardice and fear but to show maturity and professionalism in what we are doing and to allow federal government to release our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally”.

    The IPOB head of media and publicity explained that in observing a break in its protests it gave the federal government an opportunity to take a decision and release the man who did not commit any crime.

    On the constant violent crackdown by security agencies during IPOB protests, Powerful said, “We know they will kill us as they used to do before now but at the end we will be free”.

    Powerful noted that the organization was pleased with the pro-Biafra protests going on around, adding that the protest in the world is still in progress.
    He therefore stated that “we in Biafraland will not stop until our leader is released unconditionally”.

    The IPOB spokesman said that it was regrettable that those that advise President Muhammadu Buhari don’t want the freedom of the IPOB leader have continued to make it difficult for Mr. President to do the right thing and release Kanu, adding that the same sycophants in his administration are also waiting to laugh over his downfall.

    Meanwhile IPOB has vehemently condemned the arrest and detention of 76 villagers of Ugwuneshi community in Awgu local government of Enugu state following a clash with Fulani herdsmen accused of destroying crops and farmland with their cattle.

    The farmers are being held in prison custody at federal prisons Afara Umuahia after they were denied bail when they were arraigned in magistrate courts last week.

    But IPOB condemned in strong terms the Nigeria Army and Nigeria Police Zone 9 for saying they were not aware of the farmers by “men in military uniform” who took them to Umuahia and then dumped them in prison.

    IPOB head of media and publicity said that it was appalling that the Army would deny knowledge of the ”the fake soldiers, fake police and their collaboration with Fulani herdsmen in ravaging, killing, maiming and raping of women and girls of Awgu community in Enugu state”.

    He raised this poser, “If they are fake soldiers as claimed, who handed them (farmers) over to fake police, who prepared the fake charges against them and transferred them to fake Zone 9 in Umuahia and who took them to fake magistrate court, who remanded them in fake prison in Umuahia?

  • Stop harassing Igbo leaders, group warns IPOB, others

    Stop harassing Igbo leaders, group warns IPOB, others

    Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Main Igbo Movement (MIM) at the weekend warned all pro-Biafra groups, especially the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to desist from threatening credible Igbo sons in the course of its agitation.

    MIM was reacting to the attack on Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha by IPOB members in London, while he was at the Chatham House. It said it will not condone further harassment of Igbo leaders by any group under any guise.

    A statement by its President-General, Nze Simon Okokwe said the London incident was unacceptable and should be condemned by all Igbo.

    The statement reads: “The recent attack on the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in a foreign land by faceless hoodlums brandishing Biafran flag and claiming to be Biafra agitators is most embarrassing, not only to the governor but the entire Igbo. It shows the level we have degenerated.

    “In as much as we have nothing against peaceful agitation for any course whatsoever, including Biafra, we condemn in its entirety, any plan to coerce anyone to join or support any agitation, including the Biafra struggle.

    “To this end we are demanding an unreserved apology to Ndigbo and Okorocha for the humiliation meted to an illustrious Igbo son.

    “While we are not supporting any political party or politician, recent happenings in Igboland has warranted that we take stringent measures to purge ourselves of all tendencies to become a lawless people. It is our candid advice that all pro-Biafra groups be guided by the law of the land and the mutual respect for our culture, which forbids unrestrained behaviours.

    “To this end, we say enough is enough otherwise we will expose the criminals hiding under the guise of Biafra agitation to perpetrate crime.”