By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Directorate of State (DOS) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has hailed the operatives of Eastern Security Network (ESN) for their efforts in curtailing the activities of Fulani terrorists and other criminal elements in Biafran land.

The group on a statement on Saturday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said that ESN remains the iron dome for Biafrans.

The statement reads in part: ?According to the kidnapping and ransom payment statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for 2024. The records show that between 2023 and 2024, over 2.2 million Nigerians were kidnapped, and an amount of over 2.2 trillion Naira paid as ransom by the victims.

"This staggering figure of kidnapping cases and ransom paid has confirmed Nigeria to be a failed state. Nigeria is confirmed as the headquarters for terrorists and kidnappers in the world. There is no way the kidnapping for ransom syndicate will succeed without the connivance of the security agencies.

"Many Nigerian politicians and the top military and Police hierarchy are the supporters and beneficiaries of the kidnapping syndicates. Terrorism and kidnapping for ransom are the two most lucrative businesses in Nigeria. It is a million multi-dollar business between the criminals and some acclaimed State Actors.

"Ndigbo are usually the main targets of the Nigerian Security Forces and the kidnappers. Ndigbo are seen as objects of exploitation by the State Actors. That's why Alaigbo is heavily militarized, yet the criminals and kidnappers are operating freely.

"The South East would have been the hub of these kidnappers, if not for the prompt action of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB global family, of setting up ESN in 2020. Recall that the Biafra region (SE and SS) was under the Fulani terrorists occupation prior to the launch of the Eastern Security Network, ESN security outfit.

"These terrorists were deployed in large numbers to overrun Biafra land. When all hopes were lost and Biafrans were left at the mercy of the Fulani terrorists by the State and Federal Governments, IPOB and her leaders rose up and installed the Eastern Security Network, ESN.

"To the glory of God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama, ESN successfully dislodged the terrorists and frustrated their agenda. Today, Ndigbo can sleep in peace and go to farms without being slaughtered by the barbaric terrorists claiming to be herdsmen."

While saying that Bafrans do not understand the enormous sacrifices and losses that ESN operatives encounter daily in order to save our people from Fulani conquest, IPOB noted that the efforts of ESN Operatives made it possible for the Biafra regions to record the lowest kidnap and ransom payment according to the published NBS report 2024.

It added: "It was IPOB through ESN that made it possible that Ndigbo were not overrun by Fulani terrorists and kidnappers. IPOB has constantly called on Ndigbo to support ESN. Unfortunately, it is a handful of Biafrans and IPOB family members who are funding ESN.

"Irrespective of the successes recorded by ESN Operatives, the Nigerian Government, through her murderous Security Forces and some compromised media, over reported insecurity in the South East region whereas the insecurity in other regions were at alarming rates?

"They did all that to de-market Alaigbo as the most insecure region in Nigeria, but the NBS report has proven them wrong. The plans of the Nigerian government and her murderous military to blackmail IPOB and ESN into abandoning our land are dead on arrival.

"The IPOB global family, the Directorate of State (DOS), and our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu salute the courage of gallant men and women of ESN for their unquantifiable sacrifices."

IPOB further called on Biafrans to support ESN to protect the land and not to look for ESN when they are already kidnapped,

"IPOB and ESN have taken oath to defend Biafra Land and to restore Biafra sovereignty. That, we must get by the grace of Chukwu Okike Abiama.

It also called on the Nigerian government and her military to let Ndigbo breathe, adding, "ESN are not after the Nigerian Security Forces but against the sponsored Fulani terrorists. Murderous Nigerian Security Forces Should leave Ndigbo to enjoy the Christmas season by dismantling all their extortion checkpoints in the southeast.?

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