By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday reiterated that the group does not indulge in kidnap nor demand of ransom.

IPOB in a statement signed by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful said the reaction came on the heels of a statement credited to a ‘faceless Taraba indigenes’ accusing ESN of killing 3 persons and holding 9 hostage, while demanding for N20 million ransom.

The statement partly read, ”IPOB wish that the so-called Taraba indigenes will publicly make a video of themselves so that Biafrans and the world will see those who sponsor terrorists with weapons and charms into the holy land of Biafra.

“On June 13, 2024, the public especially Biafrans were alarmed over the viral videos of the foreign and local Fulani terrorists in Biafra Land with various charms and weapons in the middle of the night who were intercepted by the gallant ESN Operatives.

“These Fulani terrorists confessed that they were sent to camp in a certain location in Biafra Land. They confessed that some of the terrorists are already on the ground in Biafra land while others will also arrive soon. Their mission is to destabilize Biafra land.

“After ESN Operatives interrogated the terrorists, they were given appropriate treatment that they deserved and were dislodged from carrying out their attack in Biafra Land. The so-called Taraba indigenes should look for their terrorists brothers in one of the forests in the North. They have been dislodged from Biafra Land and sent back where they came from. The terrorists are not in the custody of ESN.

“The purported news that some Taraba indigenes said that ESN killed 3 of their brothers and demanded N20 million ransom to release the remaining 9 is false. The so-called Taraba indigenes claimed that the men that ESN intercepted in the middle of the night of June 12^th, 2024, were fishermen.

“Questions begging for answers are: What are those fishermen doing in the night inside Biafra bushes?

What are the fishermen doing with charms and weapons? Which river or ocean in Biafra Land are the fishermen coming to fish in?

“If the so-called Taraba indigenes are in contact with anyone demanding N20 million to release their terrorists brothers, they can deal with them and showing evidence but keep ESN out of their terrorism and kidnapping business. ESN does not kidnap nor demand ransom. ESN are trained and disciplined Vigilantees with mandates to dislodge marauding Fulani terrorists from the Biafra territory.

“However, it is interesting that those who claimed that the intercepted and dislodged foreign and local Fulani terrorists are their brothers go on national television and tell the world the mission of their brothers in the Biafran Land with weapons and charms in the middle of the night. Biafrans and the world will be happy to identify those sponsoring terrorists to destabilize Biafra Land.

While regretting that Nigeria is the only country where terrorists are protected, shielded, and defended, IPOB cited it as the “reason why terrorism and banditry are lucrative businesses for the Fulanis, according to the viral video of a Fulani wife who said that they have money to shop now that their husband is in banditry business. They are no longer selling (fura dunano) cow milk because their husbands have found a lucrative business called kidnapping.

It added that ESN Operatives are in all nooks and crannies watching over Biafra land, adding that no amount of blackmail will deter the group.

It said: "IPOB is under oath to ensure that the marauding terrorists are dislodged from Biafra Land for the peace and security of our lives and properties.”

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