Sit-at-home order: IPOB washes hands off alleged ESN threat notice

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the threat to indigenes of Ukwulu community in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, who woke up Sunday morning to see a warning notice of impending attack left by persons suspected to be members of IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The notice which was pasted on a part of the community reads: “Respect yourself Ukwulu about sit at home, to avoid crying had I known. We are watching you since, and you people are disobeying us because of dead Nigeria.

“From Monday upwards, disobey us again and have yourself (sic) blamed. ESN is coming for you.”

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the notice has sent jitters up the spine of residents of the area.

But in his reaction, the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said that ESN has not made any statement from inception till now, even as he absolved it of making such threat.

He said: “ESN does not make statement since inception so anybody using ESN name to issue a threat to the people of Uuwulu is not from IPOB and ESN,

“We have suspended Monday sit at home for long time and anybody enforcing sit down on Mondays is not from ESN and IPOB. Any day we have sit at home we will communicate to our people.

“IPOB has no time to give threat to communities anywhere in Biafraland because of Monday Sit-At-Home, it has been suspended long time ago, this is the hand work of hoodlums recruited by desperate politicians who want to implicate IPOB for evil, our people should ignore them and prepare to wait for them.

“The threats or purported letter is not coming from ESN or IPOB, besides IPOB does not know anything about operation of unknown gunmen since they started operating in the land of Biafra.

“The group was created by desperate politicians who derive joy in spilling blood of their fellow human being.”

The state Police Command in responding to the threat, has deployed huge security to the community.

According the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Echeng Eworo, has urged residents of the community to help the police with useful information that will help security identifying the bad elements among them.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Encheng Eworo, has deployed police reinforcement team to Ukwulu community, and urges the residents to help the police with credible information aimed at identifying the bad elements among them.

“The CP calls for calm, while thanking the members of the public and the community for prompt circulation and calling the attention of the Police and other Security agencies.

“The command has beamed its searchlight on the community, and the situation is being watched,” Ikenga said.