Nigeria: Kanu Remains Our Leader, Senseless Killings Must Stop - IPOB

10 August 2022

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, yesterday, dismissed the alleged claim by some unscrupulous people that it has removed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as its leader.

The pro-Biafra group described the alleged claim as useless and fabricated media propaganda and blackmail from some unscrupulous people being used by the Nigerian government and security agents to destabilise IPoB.

A statement by the group's Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled: 'We have not replaced Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as our leader, and have no intention to do so', regretted that some mischievous people decided to twist an unambiguous statement by IPoB, where it said that now Mazi Kanu is not around, and that the Head of Directorate of States, DoS, Mazi Edoziem, will be providing direction on the day-to-day activities of the group, adding that it never said that Edoziem has become the acting leader of IPoB.

IPoB's statement read: "We, the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu condemn the useless and fabricated media propaganda and blackmail from some media houses that IPoB has another or acting leader replacing our indefatigable liberator and prophet of our time Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

"Those peddling this kind of lies are those criminals who politicians and the Nigerian government are using to confuse and deceive the weak minded people.

"We want everybody to bear in mind that Mazi Chika Edoziem is the Head of IPoB Directorate of State, DoS, and not IPoB Acting Leader. There was never a time that Emma Powerful the Publicity Secretary of IPoB issued any statement purporting that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been replaced by Mazi Chika Edoziem as IPoB Acting Leader. The said statement was the handiwork of mischievous elements bent on confusing IPoB.

"It is unfortunate that some mischievous elements twisted an unambiguous statement by IPoB where we clarified that in the meantime that our leader is in detention, the Head of DoS, Mazi Edoziem will be providing direction on the day-to-day activities of IPoB. We never said that Edoziem has become the Acting leader of IPoB.

"For the avoidance of doubts, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains the leader of IPoB. The entire IPoB family all over the world is loyal to him. IPoB has no Acting leader. Chika Edoziem is the Head of DOS of IPoB not the leader.

"We, therefore, urge our family members,, supporters, friends, and members of the public to ignore the misleading and mischievous media report."

Threatens to confront Imo gov's Ebubeagu militiaIPOB has also threatened to confront the Ebubeagu militia in Imo State, alleging that many houses were burnt by the group while traders were dispossessed of their money and their goods during the security outfit's sporadic shooting in the area.

The pro-Biafra group also alleged that the group had engaged in a lot of unreported killings and maiming of innocent people in Imo State and have even threatened journalists in the state.

IPoB further alleged that the objective for creating Ebubeagu militia in the state was not to stop criminal activities but to harass, intimidate and depopulate innocent Igbo youths, which it said they have been allegedly doing unchallenged.

The separatist group accused the Ebubeagu outfit in Imo State of conducting illegal arrests of people and extortion of hundreds of thousands of Naira as ransom from them before their hapless victims are freed, adding that those who are not able to raise the thousands demanded from them for their freedom are killed by the outfit."

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