•Says Iwuanyanwu’s statement taken out of context

By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu's statement concerning his discussion during his recent visit to its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has been taken out of context.

IPOB in a statement on Saturday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said that the elder statesman meant to say that Kanu is not part of those using the name of IPOB to commit crime or cause havoc in Igbo Land.

The statement partly reads: "Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did not send anybody to kill the soldiers that unfortunately lost their lives in the hands of criminal elements on May 30th.

"Our leader has publicly directed on numerous occasions that all manner of activities likely to inflict suffering or any form of hardship on our people must be put to an end.

"On the issue of the 30th of May, our leader made it clear to the Igbo leader Chief Iwuanyanwu that our heroes remembrance day is sacred, sacrosanct and set in stone till eternity and will never be reversed.

"It was our leader through the instrumentality of the noble family of IPOB that instituted the 30th of May remembrance the world over. Over the years we have chosen to remember our fallen heroes publicly through religious candle light processions, prayers and gatherings in public places.

"It was the same Nigerian army that precipitated the sit-at-home incident because they glory in always attacking and killing innocent Biafrans anytime we gather peacefully in our own land."

While citing instances of Army attacks on innocent Biafrans, IPOB added: "One of such was the infamous massacres at Nkpor in 2016 Biafra Remembrance Day that led to Amnesty International and United Nations Rapporteur Agnes Callamard to issue a report of condemnation of the Nigerian Army. Most people have forgotten this.

"Another example was the massacre of innocent people in National High School Aba in the same 2016. Biafrans have been at the receiving end of endless massacres by the Nigerian Army and Police. The invasion of the home of our leader in September 2017 resulted in the murder of 28 innocent unarmed civilians and ultimately the death of his parents, His Royal Majesty Eze Sir Israel Okwu Kanu and Ugoeze Nmeme Sally Okwu Kanu.

"They lost their lives as a result of the trauma they sustained during the invasion when the soldiers from Ohafia barracks entered their private bedroom where they took refuge to fire at them. How they managed to survive that particularly brutal and unprovoked attack can only be described as a miracle though they later succumbed to illness and passed on. The Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed this in their judgement which is a matter of public record. They described the conduct of the soldiers that carried out these killings as criminal. Non of these is an excuse to attack and kill persons who are doing their work.

"There is no evidence to show that the 5 soldiers that tragically lost their lives have ever participated in the killing of Biafrans. They have families, mothers, fathers and some of them have young children. The same way we don't want any Biafran killed is how we don't want any other person or persons to lose their lives. All lives are precious before God and the freedom for Biafra will mean nothing if we don't value the lives of fellow human beings."

The group maintained that it's leader is particularly pained that 6 innocent souls died as a result of the crisis.

The separatist group added: “These are the same people he has sacrificed so much to protect. IPOB is against the killing of anybody, especially those who are peacefully going about their lawful business. Biafrans are the oldest and arguably one of the most civilized people on earth that revere life.

"Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has called for the complete demilitarization of the entire East, not just the South East. The Army should be confined to their barracks whilst day to day maintenance of law and order should be left to the police.

"All forms of lawlessness and criminality will be eradicated once our leader is released from illegal detention. This was the pledge he made before the world as he is the only person whose presence can bring lasting peace to Igboland. Unfortunately politicians in the South-East who are benefiting from the lucrative insecurity industry is wrongly advising the Tinubu administration to continue the illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, not minding the consequences.

"Had it not been for the limited intervention of our leader from detention and the hard work of the IPOB leadership led by the Directorate of State (DOS), things would have been drastically worse than it is.

"The public, media houses and commentators must not forget the genesis of the insecurity we are facing today. There is deep seated anger and resentment. Ordinary people are angry because of the unjust way Biafrans are being treated in Nigeria but we continue to advice them to be circumspect and not to take the law into their own hands as our enemies are looking for a way to derail the good government of Alex Otti and others doing excellently well in the governance of our land. If not why would any sensible person, launch a needless attack on people on their post who did not pose any threat to anybody.

“Killing and counter killing will only worsen the situation. The best way out of this mess is to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu so he can bring calm to the entire Biafra Land. If not most people who are aggrieved or those the Nigerian Army have killed their brothers or relatives in the past will never ever stop. This is the simple truth and fact. President Tinubu anybody telling you otherwise is deceiving you.”

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