IPOB denies involvement in killing of Imo oil workers

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied involvement in the killing of oil workers in Etekuru community and Asa in Ohaji council of Imo State.

The group, in a statement from the Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, described the allegations as complete falsehood targeted at tarnishing its image, urging the public to disregard it.

It maintained that IPOB remained a well-structured movement and not lawless bandits, warning against associating the group with acts typical of blood-sucking terrorists and herdsmen.

The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the fabricated falsehood being peddled by our enemies that IPOB killed oil workers in Etekuru community and Asa in Ohaji council of Imo State. This is complete falsehood to tarnish our global reputation.

“We have no hands in such barbarity. We are not bandits or terrorists that spill blood; IPOB is a non-violent and peaceful movement whose agenda is the restoration of Biafra. Killing or maiming of innocent lives is not part of our mandate.

“This won’t be the first time enemies of the struggle will be linking us with such atrocity in their desperate but futile attempt to blackmail us but we are innocent of it all. We, therefore, urge members of the public to disregard this unfounded propaganda which is the antics of our enemies.

“A further proof that this allegation does not hold water is the fact that even before the purported killings, IPOB had in a well-circulated publications at two different times, announced the cancellation of sit-at-home order on Mondays. So, on what basis will IPOB still go and enforce the same order it had suspended?

“We suspended the sit at home order and anybody enforcing sit at home on the day we suspended must have been sponsored by Nigeria government and her security agencies to blackmail IPOB. We have no business with oil companies and its workers in Ohaji or any other place. The oil companies should investigate this attack thoroughly and know who was involved in this act.

“IPOB is well structured movement with orderliness and Command-and Control. We are not lawless bandits. Nobody should associate us with barbaric acts typical of blood sucking terrorists and Fulani herdsmen who our men have been risking their lives to stop from taking over our ancestral land.

“The world should know that jihadists have been engaged by the wicked security agencies to perpetrate heinous crimes in Biafra land especially Imo State to demonise Eastern Security Network, ESN, and justify the ongoing hunt for the operatives.

“We have been raising this alarm a long time ago but many people didn’t believe us. Now it’s happening before us all.” (The Nation)