From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday said it has uncovered a grand plot by the federal authorities to incriminate and clampdown on its members to justify the proscription of the embattled pro-Biafra group.
The Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, who raised the alarm in a statement issued in Enugu, accused the government of resolving “to commence another round of their periodic genocidal massacre of innocent civilians across South-East and South-South within the next few weeks under the cover that IPOB is a terrorist organisation.”
The group said that it was laughable that the government tagged IPOB, the members claimed is a world recognised peaceful movement, a terrorist group.
“They have concluded in their sadistic minds to kill as many people as possible. They want to spread terror, intimidation and instill fear in the minds of those who will survive this massacre and cause our people to renounce or abandon their legitimate quest for freedom. The plan is to bring the people of old Eastern Region to submission before 2019 presidential elections.
“In the meeting where they concluded this devilish line of action, they boasted that they have succeeded in bringing some South-East and South-South politicians, especially South-East governors under their control, what was left for them to complete the conquest and subjugation of entire Biafra-land are the youths.
“Tagging IPOB a terrorist organisation and having such authenticated by a court of law was the first crucial step towards setting the stage for the impending genocide. The wholesale massacre is scheduled to begin precisely in three weeks time,” the group said, adding that the military, police and the DSS had been briefed to carry out the onslaught across the South-East and South-South zones.
“They assumed that having successfully bought over the conscience of South-East governors to join them in their genocidal plot with promises of second tenure in office; they can proceed to execute their plan with nobody standing in their way.
“To justify and make this genocidal act against the people look real, the Nigerian Army will take condemned criminals from prisons, dress them in military uniforms, then execute them during an unprovoked attack to make it seem that IPOB killed Nigerian soldiers.
“They will then call a world press conference to show the media corpses of ‘solders’ killed by IPOB in order to justify their decision to tag IPOB a terrorist group and hopefully dent the standing of IPOB in the eyes of lovers of freedom all over the world. This evil plan will also involve burning down some police stations in the Eastern Region with claim that it was done by IPOB sympathisers loyal to the leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
The pro-Biafra group, however, said that the plans would not work, believing that there are still enough men and women of good conscience in the South-South and South-West who would not allow the ploy to take place.
“The world is put on notice that should this impending genocide commence, South-East governors, Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, the presidency and entire Islamic core North should be held responsible because IPOB is not and can never be a terrorist organisation.
“We do not kill, we abhor lawlessness and till date nobody can point to a breakdown of law and order incident attributable to IPOB activities. We are too civilised a people, from time immemorial, to want to dabble into primitive destruction of lives and properties,” the group said, adding that “all we are asking for is a referendum so that our people can decide if they want to be free in Biafra or remain as slaves in Nigeria.”
