The Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ) has recently denied having any hand in the burning of a mosque at IgboEze north council area of Enugu state.
The group in a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful stated that IPOB is known to be a peaceful group and has never been violent in its effort to achieve a republic of their own.
It alleged that in a situation such as it is happening in the South East geopolitical zone, some unscrupulous groups would want to use the situation to cause mayhem and put the blame on their group.
The statement reads, “The attention of IPOB has been drawn to the burning of a mosque in Igbo Eze North LGA of Enugu State, we also saw a picture purporting the burning of the mosque and the caption blaming it on IPOB members”.
“IPOB leadership would like to use this opportunity to disassociate the hallowed name of IPOB and its members from the alleged arson and any other concocted news of an attack or vandalism, especially on Muslims and their places of worship”.
“IPOB is not unaware of the desperation of some unscrupulous groups to cause mayhem and blame it on IPOB as a way of instigating counter violence against Southerners in the North”.
“The aim of these type of groups is to distract our focus and firm resolve to force a peaceful referendum within the law and no amount of violence visited on our family members will dissuade us from this historic and legitimate course”.
“Biafrans in particular and Nigerians in general should therefore blame any of such attacks on criminal gangs who have been paid to cause disaffection between law abiding Biafrans and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria”.
“We wish to further state unequivocally that Muslims and other non-Biafrans living in South-East and South South have nothing to fear from IPOB, as our members are committed to a nonviolent, unarmed struggle for self determination, which is guaranteed in charters of the United Nations, international laws and other extant laws on fundamental human rights”.
“IPOB does not need to remind Nigerians that it is the culture in Biafraland to protect our visitors and any of these alleged heinous acts are viewed by the great family of IPOB as abomination which our leadership and members condemn in its entirety”.
“IPOB members should be vigilant and stay away from the provocative government- sponsored death squads whose main objective is to draw we Biafrans to another unplanned civil war but God forbid”.
The statement reads, “The attention of IPOB has been drawn to the burning of a mosque in Igbo Eze North LGA of Enugu State, we also saw a picture purporting the burning of the mosque and the caption blaming it on IPOB members”.
“IPOB leadership would like to use this opportunity to disassociate the hallowed name of IPOB and its members from the alleged arson and any other concocted news of an attack or vandalism, especially on Muslims and their places of worship”.
“IPOB is not unaware of the desperation of some unscrupulous groups to cause mayhem and blame it on IPOB as a way of instigating counter violence against Southerners in the North”.
“The aim of these type of groups is to distract our focus and firm resolve to force a peaceful referendum within the law and no amount of violence visited on our family members will dissuade us from this historic and legitimate course”.
“Biafrans in particular and Nigerians in general should therefore blame any of such attacks on criminal gangs who have been paid to cause disaffection between law abiding Biafrans and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria”.
“We wish to further state unequivocally that Muslims and other non-Biafrans living in South-East and South South have nothing to fear from IPOB, as our members are committed to a nonviolent, unarmed struggle for self determination, which is guaranteed in charters of the United Nations, international laws and other extant laws on fundamental human rights”.
“IPOB does not need to remind Nigerians that it is the culture in Biafraland to protect our visitors and any of these alleged heinous acts are viewed by the great family of IPOB as abomination which our leadership and members condemn in its entirety”.
“IPOB members should be vigilant and stay away from the provocative government- sponsored death squads whose main objective is to draw we Biafrans to another unplanned civil war but God forbid”.
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