By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Sunday disassociated itself from the purported second Biafra declaration in Finland.

The group in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, made available to journalists in Awka, Anambra State described the declaration as fraudulent.

It insisted that there is no room for another Biafra declaration besides the one declared by late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu in 1967.

The statement reads in part, "IPOB wishes to commend responsible media organizations and social media bloggers in Nigeria and the diaspora who did not give attention to the mockery of the Biafra struggle by infiltrators in Finland and elsewhere.

"However, it is imperative to inform the international community, Biafrans, friends of Biafra, and lovers of Biafran freedom that Biafra was declared by our eternal leader, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in 1967. What IPOB is doing now is working to restore the sovereignty of the declared Biafra Independence, which was forced to surrender through genocide by the Nigerian and British governments.

"IPOB is now calling for a UN-supervised referendum for Biafrans so that the declared sovereignty can be restored.

"Biafra cannot be declared for a second time by anyone. It is unfortunate that some unscrupulous elements who failed in their mission to infiltrate and destroy IPOB, went into the jamboree they claimed was Biafra?s second declaration outside Biafra territory.

"Biafrans, and IPOB in particular, are happy that the farce staged in Finland this weekend was ignored by all responsible media organizations.

?Those involved in the event in Finland were among the sponsors of insecurity in the Southeast region. Their agenda is to destabilize the Southeast, divide the people, and divert the attention of Biafrans and those sympathetic to the Biafra struggle by making the genuine Biafra struggle unattractive to our people. They failed woefully.?

While saying that its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was pressured by enemies both within and outside to declare Biafra for a second time, but he refused, noting that he is a brilliant freedom fighter who understands the seasons, times, and the rules governing self-determination.

It noted that when the enemies failed to push Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB into an untimely and unnecessary Biafra declaration, they collaborated with a Nigerian government agent from Finland to destroy IPOB.

It added: "They celebrated their foolishness, which they called Biafra?s declaration, in Finland last weekend. IPOB is an informed movement, championing the restoration of Biafra sovereignty and freedom, and cannot involve itself in self-deception or scam people with the Biafra project. All those involved in the illusion and self-deception called the Biafra declaration in Finland are criminals, uninformed, and fake agents,? it statedadd.

"Only fools rush where angels fear to tread. The Biafra struggle is a matter of the spirit because blood has been shed and sacrificed for this ultimate cause. Any person, nation, or group of people who dares to obstruct the Biafra restoration will pay a heavy price.

It also stated that the ?Autopilot criminals,? who are making money from some of their ignorant followers to mock the Biafra struggle internationally, will all pay a price.

IPOB further stated that it will not come after them, but the blood of the fallen heroes of Biafra will chase and hunt them down.

It called on Biafrans, friends of Biafra, and lovers of Biafran freedom to understand that the shambolic declaration of Biafra Independence in the distant land of Finland is a scam.

The group further stressed that those who have funded the infiltrators that gathered for a picnic in Finland have been scammed.

It said: "The infiltrators and agents of provocateurs have declared their independence in Finland, and Biafrans hope they will enjoy their freedom and stop interfering with IPOB?s peaceful struggle and engagement for the restoration of the Biafran Nation.

?Again, we reiterate that our eternal leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared Biafra Independence in Biafra Land in 1967. He and other Biafran men and women fought gallantly in an unprepared genocidal war to defend the declared territory of Biafra for three years.

"General Dim Ojukwu had the support and backing of Ndigbo, Biafrans in general, and the Biafra Consultative Forum to declare for Biafra Independence at that time. Heaven declared Biafra once, and though short-lived, it is on the strength of that declaration that IPOB stands to demand a UN-supervised referendum for Biafrans to decide their political future.

"Therefore, the idiocy exhibited by a group people in Finland recently in the name of a Biafra declaration is trash. It was a welcome development that they were ignored by the media and public because they did not exist. This press release is to keep the record straight and to disassociate IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from the idiocy exhibited in Finland, called the second Biafra declaration. The Finland Biafra declaration is a pure scam by some agent provocateurs."

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