By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Amidst the growing insecurity in the Southeast and the Federal Government’s threat to engage its masterminds with military force, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has challenged the Federal Government to first crush the bandits and terrorists overrunning the entire North and Middle Belt before embarking on any military operation in the region.

IPOB also challenged the Presidency to name those it referred to as people behind the Biafran agitation seeking financial inducement.

This came on the heels of a statement made by the Presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu alleging that the renewed agitation for self determination in the South East was because “the Federal Government had refused to share money to those behind the agitation.”

He was also quoted by IPOB to have threatened military action to crush those he referred to as “the animals disturbing the peace of South East.”

Responding to the statement, IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said: “We therefore, challenge Shehu to mention those the federal government has been paying in the South East to drop the agitation for self determination.

“If he fails to disclose the identities of the beneficiaries and evidence of such payments, we will take it to be one of the shameless lies which have become the trademark of the Muhamnadu Buhari-led Fulani-controlled Federal Government.

“Without speaking for other proponents of self determination, we know that the Federal Government of Nigeria has been making frantic but fruitless efforts to induce the leadership of IPOB with money to possibly drop the quest for Biafran restoration.

“The Federal Government has severally but without success, attempted to buy over our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, making him some irresistible offers. IPOB is not, has never been, and will never be interested in the crumbs from Federal Government of Nigeria.

“We also wish to remind the Presidency that only a certified and unconscionable moron will ever equate money to the motive behind the growing agitation for self determination across Nigeria.”

IPOB insisted that if money was its focus, it knows what to do to get more of it.

It recalled that its leader had severally rejected financial inducements from the federal government saying that IPOB’s aim for Biafra agitation is freedom.

The group added: “We are tired of sharing a geographical space with terrorists.

“If you know those people that asked Buhari or Yusuf Abubakar Mohammad for money, we are begging you to please publish their names.

“As a people, Biafrans are enterprising and we don’t think we are behind any region in terms of affluence and economic security despite the oppressive policies of 97 percent versus 5 percent Government targeted against the hardworking illustrious sons and daughters and the monopolistic tendencies of the Fulani.

“We are tired of being ruled by government officials who dine and wine with terrorists but brutalise and kill law-abiding freedom fighters. We are tired of being ruled by a government that pays ransom to bandits, frees terrorists but jails unarmed protesters. We are tired of oppressive government that promotes nepotism and injustice.

“Nothing can change our resolve to free Biafra from the Nigeria bondage. No amount of propaganda by Government can make us change our mind. BIAFRA is more imminent than they think. The night is far spent, and the new dawn is almost here with the Rising Sun of our great nation at the threshold!”

IPOB stressed that the threat by the Presidency to order military operation to crush “the animals disturbing the peace in South East” has simply confirmed its alarm all the while that the Federal Government is the one sponsoring the escalating insecurity in the zone to provide an excuse for another military operation to kill more innocent Biafrans.

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