IPOB Declares 17 Members Missing after Assault by Troops in Asaba
Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) monday said no fewer than 17 of its members remained unaccounted for following the alleged crackdown by troops on the activists who were meeting at the weekend in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
In a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, IPOB noted that it was alarmed over the action of Nigeria’s security agencies whose “incessant harassment, kidnapping, killing and arrest of members of IPOB and Biafrans” has continued unabated.
According to the group, the security agencies readily resort to intimidating tactics and killings once they see people “wearing Biafra uniform and other Biafra materials or holding IPOB family meetings.
“It is dangerous that the Nigeria security agencies will continue to harass, intimidate, kill and arrest of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra who did not commit any crime but only wear Biafra uniform or gather for a meeting,” IPOB said.
It insisted that the “barbaric assaults on its members” would remain an exercise in futility “because we cannot stop the agitation at this stage when freedom is at sight.
The Biafra restoration group further stated that it would not change its agenda and would not be deterred in its determination to work for the re-emergence of the nation of Biafra through peaceful means.
“They (FG, security agencies) cannot draw an agenda for IPOB, we will maintain non-violent approach towards the realisation of Biafra,” the group assured.
Explaining the modus operandi of the security agencies, IPOB said that “after the kidnap by the Nigeria security agencies” the victims were dumped in the secret cells without trace, adding that “our members are missing every day without trace.”
Relying on its intelligence unit, IPOB stated that it has uncovered “heinous plans” by the federal authorities and the security agencies to annihilate any person ardently agitating for Biafra self determination while the herdsmen terrorists were still on the loose “killing and maiming human beings at random without any arrest”
“The Nigeria, government and her security agencies have vowed to deal with or track down any Biafran or members of IPOB who is pursuing the restoration of Biafra in truth and honesty and vowed to dump them in secret cells without trace,” IPOB lamented.
