By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Nigerian Army of propagating deceitful propaganda and blackmail against it with what it described as an attempt to link it to an alleged notorious criminal, Mr. Maduabuchi Nwankwo, also known as Emergency, and his wife. It urged the Army to focus on protecting citizens, not blackmail.

This was contained in a statement by IPOB?s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful on Friday.

The secessionist group urged the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to desist from their habitual falsehood and stop dragging IPOB into their own state sponsored criminal enterprises in the South-East.

The statement reads In part: ?IPOB neither associates with political criminals nor tolerates any form of violence or lawlessness.

?The Nigerian Army?s desperation to link this criminal to IPOB is not only malicious and unprofessional but exposes their moral bankruptcy and incompetence.

?Instead of focusing on their constitutional duty of protecting unarmed and defenseless citizens, they have reduced themselves to a propaganda outfit, churning out unverifiable fabrications to justify their failures.

?We wish to state unequivocally that Emergency and his wife have no connection whatsoever with IPOB or ESN. IPOB members are disciplined, law-abiding, and unarmed civilians committed to the peaceful pursuit of Biafra self-determination. Likewise, ESN operatives are well-organized, disciplined vigilantes whose sole mission is to protect Biafran farmers and communities from state-protected Fulani terrorists ravaging our land.

?To date, no single IPOB member or ESN operative has ever been convicted of any crime?either within or outside Nigeria. Yet, the Nigerian Government and its security architecture continue to demonize us through false narratives and sponsored media blackmail. Their attempts to criminalize a legitimate self-determination movement will always fail.

?The Nigerian Army should be ashamed of its inability to safeguard citizens from the incessant killings, kidnappings, and terror attacks across the country. Rather than wasting energy on blackmailing IPOB and ESN, they should redirect their focus to combating the real security threats?the marauding terrorists and kidnappers holding Nigeria hostage.?

IPOB advised the Nigerian Army to simply face their duty of protecting the people, and leave IPOB and ESN alone.

It explained that its demand for a peaceful referendum on Biafra is rooted in democracy, dialogue, and the right to self-determination guaranteed under international law.

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