The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Tuesday, absolved itself of attack on the Police in Oraifite, Anambra State, saying that the Police rather invaded the house of its leader’s lawyer, Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, with the intent to kill him.

The group lamented that “even during the darkest days of Abacha’s dictatorship, no one witnessed such brazen intimidation of a legal counsel or the attempted assassination of a defence counsel in a high profile case.”

A statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, noted that it is the golden rule of every legal system under the sun that defence counsel are not harassed, intimidated or killed.

The group wondered why police said there was a criminal complaint against Barrister Ejiofor bothering on assault and kidnapping four days after the funeral of his brother, describing it as stupid and laughable.

The statement partly reads: “Criminal complaint from who? Who did he kidnap, the body of his dead brother?

“Who did he assault, Justice Binta Nyako? Where, when and how did he commit these crimes? The Nigeria Police never wrote to Barrister Ejiofor neither did they invite him to attend their station. This is a black lie. If they did, they should release the call log of the phone they claim they used in calling him.

“The only reason for this unprovoked criminal invasion with deadly intent is to kill Barrister Ejiofor and to stop him from attending Federal High Court Abuja next month where he has all but defeated the Attorney General in the matter of Federal Government of Nigeria versus IPOB because Nigeria has no case against IPOB.

“The same strategy of invade and kill doctrine they deployed in Isiama-Afaraukwu the home of our leader on 14 September 2017 a month before he is due in court is what played out in Oraifite yesterday.

“The unprovoked Nigeria police and army invasion of the home of our lawyer Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor barely four days after the painful burial of his senior brother is proof that those running Nigeria have descended into the abyss of iniquity from which they may never recover.

“Not even during the darkest days of Abacha’s dictatorship did anyone witness such brazen intimidation of a legal counsel or the attempted assassination of a defence counsel in a high profile case.”

While expressing doubt that the Nigeria Bar Association and National Judicial Council would rise up in condemnation of what it labelled “contemptuous behaviour by Aso Rock in this latest attempt to kill Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor”, IPOB said that the level of dictatorial impunity against the rule of law, judicial process and natural justice must not be condoned by any right-thinking person.

“In their usual predictable manner, the Fulani run Nigerian Police through their Public Relations Officer one Haruna Mohammed in Anambra State have issued a self-incriminating statement ladden with blatant lies, falsehood and deception,” IPOB said.

It dismissed the press statement made by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Haruna Mohammed, where he said that two of their officers were killed by IPOB members as a lie, saying that there were four dead bodies in the burnt police vehicle.

According to IPOB, “The truth remains that Nigeria Police and Army went to the home of Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor with the sole purpose to kill him before next month’s court date as is now their tradition. On getting there they opened fire on unarmed civilians as usual and the two men that came out of the house were shot dead instantly. The police carried their dead and dying bodies into their van to conceal evidence and drove off. These are facts backed by evidence Anambra Police cannot deny.

“After killing two unarmed and innocent civilians, before they left the police doused Barrister Ejiofor’s home with petrol and set it on fire. This was the reality yesterday in Oraifite Anambra State. It was the carelessness of the police in handling the petrol they used to drench Barrister Ejiofor’s home and nearby businesses before setting them on fire that trailed back and led to the fire that gutted their van.

“It is on record that IPOB remains a peaceful movement. Therefore, this latest desperate attempt by this lying Fulani-controlled Nigeria Police to equate our activities with their home-grown Miyetti Allah (Fulani herdsmen) terrorist organisation is a waste of time.”

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