Proscribed Igbo separatist group,
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has debunked claims by the Nigerian Army of killing 13 of its members in an operation in the South-East.

The spokesman of the Joint Task Force ‘Operation UDO KA’ in the South-East, Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, had, in a statement on Monday in Enugu, said troops killed 13 suspected members of IPOB in the region during a clearance operation.

But in a statement on Thursday morning by the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the Army lied about killing its members.

Powerful stated that the Army lied and deliberately peddled falsehood in its attempt to demonise the group and scare Ndigbos from traveling home for the Yuletide festivities.

“The Directorate of State (DOS) of the noble family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wish to debunk the falsehood and concocted propaganda peddled by the Nigeria Military in Enugu State of killing 13 IPOB members,” Powerful said in the statement.

“The Nigerian Army is fear-mongering. They planned to use this fake news of killing 13 IPOB members to scare away Ndigbo from returning and enjoying their Christmas in their respective homes in the South East Region. These scare tactics by the Nigeria government and its compromised military will not work

“IPOB understands Nigerian Government and its Nigerian military uses the name of the peaceful noble family of the IPOB movement and ESN to deceive the general public international community into believing that they are working on insecurity in our territory.

“The Nigerian Army in the South East are not curtailing insecurity. Instead, they are fueling the insecurity to justify the genocide they committed and have continued to commit against Ndigbo.

“We are happy that a reputable Civil Society Organization like INTERSOCIETY has compiled and published the murderous activities of the Nigerian Army in the South East.

“Nigerian Army has made uncountable efforts to destabilize, demonise, and criminalize IPOB and ESN before Ndigbo and the international community.

“The more they try, the more they fail because IPOB are not involved in the insurgency and insecurity, including criminal activities going on in the South East Region.

“The Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police, and their murderous DSS are among the state actors destabilizing the South East in the name of fighting insecurity. These notorious Security Forces are the insecurity that the people experience themselves.

“What is the beef of the Nigerian government and her murderous military against unarmed and non-violent movement like IPOB?

“The ethnic bigot government of Nigeria proscribed IPOB and labeled IPOB a terrorist organization in Nigeria but failed convinced international community to labeled IPOB a teror organisation, we all knew IPOB as the leader of a non-violent self-determination struggle to restore Biafra.

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“The same self-determination is being pursued by the Oduduwa agitators and Hausa agitators respectively but, who are not considered as terrorists by the same Federal (Fulani) government of Nigeria.

“Since the 1945, Biafrans have always been considered enemies in Nigeria. Why then is the Nigerian State afraid of the Igbos exiting the unholy and unworkable union called Nigeria? Nigeria can’t keep humiliating, intimidating, killing, and illegally abducting Ndigbo out of their ethnic hatred for Biafra citizenry and, at the same time, refuse to let them leave from that bloody nation. Is Nigeria a witch?

“The Nigerian government and her military colluded with Fulani terrorists to overrun Biafra Land. That is why we allege that the Nigerian Army target is to destroy IPOB and ESN, who are the only formidable obstacle to their Fulanization agenda.

“IPOB formed ESN to curtail the terrorists activities of the Fulanis. On the other hand, the Nigerian government deployed the Nigerian Army under the Operation UDO-KA to attack Ndigbo and claimed it is ESN members who were up against Fulani terrorists in our bushes and farmlands. That is why we insist that the Nigerian Army is working together with the Fulani terrorists.

“Recently, on international front, Niger Republic accused the Nigerian government and her Military of working together with the so-called new terrorist group “Lukuwana terrorists” to destabilize their country by sabotaging their oil pipeline in the Benin Republic.

“The Nigerian government and her murderous military have extended their destabilization activities to the neighboring countries. This ought to be a serious concern to the international community.

“The Nigerian military spokesman must stop linking IPOB to their sponsored criminal activities going on in the South East Region with the unfounded media blackmail.

“The claims by the military spokesperson of killing 13 IPOB members are not only false but illusory. The military claimed to have killed 13 IPOB members but failed to substantiate their claims.

“The news headline is not only deceitful but unrelated to the main article. IPOB will equally use this opportunity to call on the Nigerian media to become circumspect and practice. investigative journalism in their reportage.

“The Nigerian Army’s claim of killing 13 IPOB members should not be reported without proper investigation. The media reporting the claims of the killing of 13 unarmed IPOB civilians or ESN Operatives by the Nigeria soldiers (assuming that it is true) should not have reported it unceremoniously because the life of every IPOB person is precious.

“Unarmed IPOB members and ESN operatives are not terrorists or criminals who should be killed even though the Nigerian government decided to demonize us for defending our people.

“Secondly, IPOB family members and ESN Operatives are all intact. There is no loss of IPOB family members or ESN operatives as claimed by the Nigerian Army. As long as IPOB and the international community are concerned, IPOB members are non-violent self- determination movement.

“On the other hand, ESN are armed disciplined Vigilantees that are mandated to dislodge Fulani terrorist and kidnappers masquerading as herdsmen in the South East Forests and bushes. IPOB will not retreat nor surrender on defending our people or in restoring our fatherland – Biafra Nation.”

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