By OKODILI NDIDI, Abuja

An Igbo group, Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), has restated its claim that separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu has changed the registration status of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to a community interest company in the United Kingdom, despite denial by the proscribed group.

IPOB had in a statement signed by Emma Powerful, said IPOB had not effected any change in its registration documents.

“The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the ridiculous and fallacious media report that our Leader has altered the registration documents of IPOB and converted same to his private estate with his wife, Mrs. Uchechi Okwu Kanu as one of the signatories.

“The stupid claims emanating from a faceless group and DSS-creation masquerading as Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), only exists in the imagination of those behind the trash.

“There is no iota of truth in the above gibberish which only confirms that the DSS has run out of ideas in its propaganda war against IPOB. Assuming but not conceding to this tissue of lies, when and how has who owns and runs IPOB become the headache of these dullards?

“We thought they said IPOB is an organization of miscreants run by a lunatic? How come the Nigeria Government is suddenly beginning to lose sleep over the ownership of IPOB the assembly of miscreants?” the statement read.

But the group made up of Igbo professionals, maintained that the change of the status of the proscribed group, vindicated its position that Kanu was using the platform for selfish and pecuniary interests.

According to the group, Kanu’s agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra was a mere ruse, conceived to defraud his followers, alleging that “Kanu and his wife remain the sole signatories to IPOB’s main account in Germany”.

In a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Madumere Chika, and National Secretary, Anayo Uchemba, the group, said it was compelled to make further clarification on the status of the IPOB in response to a statement on social media claiming otherwise.

The group recalled that barely twenty-four hours ago, they had alerted the public on the development in the UK, wherein Kanu was reported to have registered IPOB as a “community interest company”.

To buttress their position, the Igbo professionals pointed out that Kanu has since “filed zero income in UK financial report, ostensibly to pave the way for the personalisation of the group”.

In an earlier statement, the group had called on well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters to pull out of IPOB and openly identify with the Nigerian State as others are already doing, stressing that “Ndigbo has so much to gain being in an indivisible Nigeria than Kanu’s acclaimed Biafra”.

It charged the Igbo on the need to remain firm and resolute in their decision by showing unalloyed allegiance to the Nigerian State and not allow Kanu to succeed in manipulating them into joining his secessionist group to promote his selfish agenda.

“How can Kanu change the registration status of IPOB to his personal business if he truly means well for his followers? Kanu and his wife remain the sole signatories to IPOB’s main account in Germany, is this not clear that it’s a personal business?”.

They had contended further that, “this has completely vindicated our stand that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is just a common fraudster who is only out to make money and other personal gains for himself and not representing the Igbo nation”.

Meanwhile, reacting to IPOB’s statement, where it described the group as “faceless”, the Igbo professionals, said they would not “dignify a group that did not exist, in the eyes of the law with a response to some of their questions which is out of frustration”.

It stressed that “as a coalition of professionals, who have distinguished themselves in different fields of endeavours, we refuse to dissipate energy responding to a non-existent group, as doing so will amount to dignifying a ‘terrorist organisation’.

“Yes, IPOB, by its acts of violence against the good people of South East, as well as a threat to national security, has since been designated a terrorist organisation, having been so proscribed”, the statement read in part.

It added that “nothing in our investigation showed that the aforesaid labelling, which was accorded consequential gazetting, was ever set aside in any competent court in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.

“It is on this basis, therefore, that we, for the umpteenth time, appeal to well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters – both home and in the diaspora – to denounce Kanu, IPOB and all their works.

“Finally, we challenge them to a public debate on any National Television of their choice within the shortest period, we also invite the public to approach online platforms, with a view to confirming our alert and other former IPOB member’s that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has altered the registration status of his self-serving platform, IPOB.” (The Nation)

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