The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has asked the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to stop linking the group with the Finland-based Simon Ekpa’s autopilot group.
The pro-Biafran group was reacting to the claims by the governor that the police neutralised 27 kidnapping gangs of Eastern Security Network members loyal to the Ekpa at various locations in the state.
In a statement on Thursday, the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said the claims were not only false but also ‘cheap propaganda’ against IPOB and ESN, insisting that Ekpa’s autopilot group and the 27 kidnapping gangs were not members of IPOB.
“The global family of IPOB wishes to debunk the fabricated and fallacious news peddled by the Enugu State governor’s media office, where they claim that the Nigerian Police neutralized 27 kidnapping gangs of ESN members loyal to the Finland-based group at various locations in Enugu State.
“The claim is not only false but also a cheap propaganda against IPOB and ESN. According to the report, the Enugu State governor’s media office claimed that the Nigerian Police neutralized 27 criminals and kidnappers within two weeks at various locations in the state.
“The Nigerian Police and Enugu State government said that some of the neutralized criminals are pro-Biafra agitators loyal to the Finland-based double agent.
“Then why did they turn around and associate these criminals with the noble IPOB family? In the usual malicious intent, the police claimed that the so-called neutralised criminals were ESN operatives loyal to autopilot IPOB,” the statement read.
It reiterated that the Ekpa had no relationship with the ESN from the formation to date or with IPOB, adding that the kidnappers had nothing in common with the Biafra struggle.
“For a long time, IPOB has maintained that there is nothing like autopilot in IPOB. More so, the criminal gang leader in Finland has no relationship with ESN from the formation of ESN to date or with IPOB.
“The criminals and kidnappers have nothing in common with IPOB, ESN, and the Biafra struggle.
“The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah and the Nigeria Police in Enugu State should stop being maliciously mischievous. They should stop the unnecessary blackmail against IPOB and call the criminals by their names.
“Already, the criminals captured said where they belong and it is not with the IPOB’s Eastern Security Network,” the statement added.
It warned the governor’s media office to desist from linking ESN and IPOB to the self-acclaimed autopilot leader, a double agent in Finland and his criminals in Enugu or anywhere else in Biafra land.
It added that all ESN operatives were under the command of the Directorate of States of the IPOB.
The group insisted that there were no ESN operatives loyal to the autopilot in Finland, declaring that IPOB had neither a faction nor any affiliates.
“ESN operatives don’t get involved in any criminal activities. They are disciplined vigilantes who are strictly focused on their mandate of dislodging the terrorists nicknamed herdsmen from destroying our farmers and farmlands.
“Biafrans can testify that ever since the ESN was formed, ESN operatives have never been involved in crimes, nor have they threatened the peace and security of Biafrans that they vowed to protect.
“The Nigeria government and its murderous security agencies should stop blackmailing IPOB and ESN by associating our hallowed ESN with the autopilot gang and their leader,” the statement added.
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