The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described as fabricated and fake the statement credited to a traditional ruler of an autonomous community in Mbaise, Imo State, Eze Nwabueze Nnadi Ezewuiro, who labelled the ongoing IPOB Biafra project as a fraud.

IPOB said the statement published by one of the national dailies was aimed at blackmail.

In a statement issued on Thursday and made available to journalists in Awka by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group said: “The publication was an attempt to poison the minds of Biafrans and divert their attention from seeking their freedom from Nigeria.

“The truth of the matter is that the alleged traditional ruler from Mbaise, Eze Nwabueze Nnadi Ezewuiro (Agaba Idu 1), quoted in the publication, does not exist.

“There is no traditional ruler or person of interest from Mbaise residing in Calabar who goes by the name Nwabueze Nnadi Ezewuiro. This is another agent provocateur publication in the mould of the equally fake ‘Okwudili’ the non-existent, phantom Biafra ‘leader’, designed to mislead the masses into thinking that certain Igbo traditional rulers are against the current IPOB-led agitation for Biafra independence. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is a black lie.

“It is highly unethical for a national publication to facilitate the dissemination of what in essence a fake news, all in an effort to weaken IPOB or test the resolve of our global followership. The article was calculated and designed to impugn the integrity of the struggle for Biafra liberation championed by IPOB and led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“Findings by IPOB intelligence unit and family members in and around the five communities that make up Mbaise have conclusively determined that nobody with the name, Eze Nwabueze Soronnadi Ezewuiro (Agaba Idu 1) ever existed, talk less of being crowned a traditional ruler.

“Those behind this fabrication must know that Biafrans are highly intelligent people and internationally proven to be the most intelligent race in the black world. Therefore, these lies peddled by enemies of Biafra freedom will never hold water or gain any traction.

“It is now very clear to all that IPOB remains the potent force it has always been, despite the horrors of Operation Python Dance and the illegal abduction of our leader, hence the concerted effort to degrade our movement through smear campaigns and outright lies. Nothing can stop IPOB, not even if heaven falls. Biafra must be restored.”

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