The Indigenous Of Biafra (IPOB) has alleged that the Nigerian government has been recruiting thugs charged with disrupting elections in the South East and will turn around to blame it (IPOB).
The group made this known in a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful.
The statement said IPOB leadership had for umpteenth time, stated unequivocally that part of its modus operandi in its agitation for freedom “has never been, is not and will not be violent agitation.
“This explains our consistent demand for the UN to organise a Referendum in the Biafran territory for the Biafran people to determine their destiny.
“To this effect, IPOB is neither contemplating nor will it encourage or sponsor anyone or group to disrupt the Zoo Nigeria shambolic selection process called election.”
Despite its stand, IPOB lamented, Nigerian authorities have always accused it of planning to disrupt the 2023 election.
It accused the Nigerian government of “directly and indirectly sponsoring election violence in Biafra land with the intention to blackmail the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Internationally as anti-democratic process.”
According to the group, part of its modus operandi in its agitation for freedom “has never been, is not and will not be violent agitation”.
This, it said, explained the group’s consistent demand for the UN to organise a Referendum in the Biafran territory for the Biafran people to determine their destiny.
“To this effect, IPOB is neither contemplating, nor will it encourage or sponsor anyone or group to disrupt the Zoo Nigeria shambolic selection process called election.
“IPOB has constantly made it public that we have no interest in and cannot legitimise the aberration they call election in Nigeria.
“We are a focused, determined and disciplined freedom fighting movement not political thugs and IPOB is devoted to the cause of liberating our people for subjugation and from modern day slavery and Neo-colonialism and will not allow ourselves to be distracted from this very objective,” it said.
