From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Biafra separatists Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described as a lie an assertion by the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, that its security arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN), was an initiative of South-East governors that was hijacked by the group.
In a statement by IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful, the group said that the security unit was created out of necessity after it claimed that opportunity was given to the South-East governors to form a regional security force that will protect the region.
‘We don’t need to belabour ourselves in convincing the public over who set up ESN because it is public knowledge,’ the group stated.
‘For five months, our leader was begging South-East and South-South governors to float a regional security outfit to protect and defend our people against genocidal attacks by terrorists masquerading as Fulani herdsmen.
‘Our leader even wrote a letter to the governors which was made public but they turned deaf ear to all the pleas including the clamour by the people for a regional security outfit.
‘Every honest person will attest to the fact that ESN was floated by IPOB in response to the yearnings of our people for self-defence against terrorists. It was a child of necessity borne as a result of the failure of the governors to rise to their responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people.
‘The other time it was Emeka Emekasiri who was disgracing himself with the claims that they formed IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hijacked it from them. Treacherous Ralph Uwazuruike has also repeatedly claimed that Radio Biafra was formed by him but later hijacked by Nnamdi Kanu.’
