From Steve Oko, Umuahia
The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, has dissociated itself from any involvement in the “purported attack” on Gov Nyesom Wike’s father’s church last Saturday.
The group in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said those trying to link IPOB with the said incident were only looking for excuse to further demonise the peaceful movement to justify the on-going secret genocide against its members and suspected sympathisers.
IPOB maintained that it had not reconsidered its nonviolent philosophy for Biafra actualisation, adding that violent approach is not an option at least for now.
The pro Biafra group explained that any day it decides to take up arms against the Nigeria government, it would make it public.
The statement read in part: “The attention of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), ably led by our great Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the fabricated and state-sponsored propaganda peddled by Nyesom Wike and his co-travelers that peaceful and innocent members of IPOB are responsible for an alleged attack on his father’s building on Saturday night.
“We want to state categorically and for record purposes that IPOB knows nothing about the said purported attack. We do not indulge in explosive devices and we do not have any intensions to do so in the near future.
“We have said it on numerous occassions that violence is not part of the agenda in our quest to restore Biafra. Any day we decide to take up arms against the state, which is not in our immediate contemplation, it won’t be done in secret.
“IPOB is an unblemished peaceful movement with legally recognisable presence in over 100 countries of the world without any trace of violence. Our mandate remains the peaceful restoration of Biafra.
“The whole world is now aware of the heinous crimes against humanity committed against innocent Biafrans living in Obigbo Rivers State.”
IPOB said that those behind the atrocity used the nationwide disturbances that trailed the EndSars protests as a cover “to murder hundreds of innocent men, women and children in Obigbo Rivers State.”
IPOB accused Gov. Wike of instigating attacks against its members in the state, urging him to retrace his steps.
“He never denied it, in fact he boasted about it during his numerous televised interviews”, the statement added.
“We have since left vengeance in the hands of Almighty God. A government steeped in subterfuge and grand deception could have orchestrated the said attack on the church as a way to further demonise IPOB in its desperate quest to justify the ongoing open genocide against indigenous Igbo populations, especially Biafran Jews in Obigbo.”
IPOB warned those associating the group with the said attack to desist or regret their actions.
“We seek to advise the Nigerian Police and Nyesom Wike to stop peddling oulandish lies in the mould of Lai Mohammed.
“Gov Wike is only afraid of his own shadow. He is being too clever by half. No amount of cover-up will save him from the divine judgement that is coming his way. He can run but can never hide. He won’t escape it.
“No matter how long the truth is covered and surppressed, it must certainly surface in the end. All those trying to create a scenario to implicate IPOB shall never escape divine justice.
“They seem to be using the same tactics they deployed to infuse violence into peaceful #EndSars protests in Lagos and Abuja. The whole world saw how they used dark SUVs to ferry armed violent thugs to protest venues in order to instigate mayhem and in the process demonise peaceful protesters.
” This is exactly what they are trying to do to the good name of IPOB in Igweocha. The public is now wiser.
“Wike and his agents should get ready to prove to the entire world how he alone determined, without recourse to or help from a competent court of law, that IPOB is responsible for whatever offence or crime he claimed precipitated the rage against the innocent people of Obigbo.
“It is untathomable that somebody who claims to be a lawyer and a public servant did not subscribe to the rule of law.
