The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the military of torturing to death, members of the group arrested during the May 30, 2016 Biafra Remembrance Day celebration in a bid to give them mass burial, together with those they allegedly killed during the celebration.

A Press statement by IPOB endorsed by its Media and Publicity Officer, Comrade Emma Powerful, also attacked Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, for not securing the release of her members who are allegedly being tortured in the army barracks.

Last Monday, security operatives clashed with those celebrating the 49 anniversary of the declaration of the defunct Republic of Biafra, on May 30, 1966, by late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, then leader of Eastern Nigeria, across the South East.

Accounts showed that the biggest casualty was recorded in Anambra state where soldiers clashed with youths in a procession at Nkpor.

Despite those who were killed, it was reported that the soldiers also arrested some IPOB members and took them to their barracks. The IPOB spokesman said the group has discovered that the Nigerian Army and Police “decided to kill those they arrested alive and bury them with the dead bodies they carried on the same day.”

Part of the statement reads: “As IPOB families and Biafrans mourn our dead brethren with heavy hearts, the Nigeria government and security agents are busy perfecting strategy to kill unarmed civilians they arrested during the events (Biafra Day celebration) and bury all with the dead Biafrans in a mass grave within Anambra State.” IPOB maintained that if the security agencies did not harbour such motive, they should have charged them to court.

IPOB is livid that Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, allegedly visited the Army Barracks and “saw corpses of his brothers and sisters who were killed during the remembrance day and also allowed those alive to be tortured to death,” while he went to offset the hospital bills of victims of the Onitsha Carra Market bombing who were Hausa Fulani.

IPOB also lampooned Obiano for describing as hoodlums, initiators of the Remembrance Day for the fallen heroes and heroines who lost their lives fighting for Biafra during the genocidal war against the Biafran people from 1967 to 1970.

IPOB, therefore, accused the governor of “ordering the security agents to kill and maim unarmed civilians” because initiators of the Remembrance Day did not obtain permission from him.

•Photo shows detained IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu.

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