By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has debunked what it described as a concocted propaganda and falsehood peddled to the public by the Nigerian Army that their troops and another group known as UDO-KA stationed in the South East Region killed four IPOB and ESN members in a forest at Umuaku Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.

This was contained in a statement by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful and made available to journalists in Awka on Friday

It accused the Nigerian Army of “committing silent genocide against innocent Biafrans in their quest to blackmail and demonize IPOB before the international community.”

The statement reads in part: “The Nigerian Army has invaded an uncountable number of communities and villages in the South East, murdered innocent civilians, and tagged their victims murders on IPOB or ESN.

“IPOB members are not violent, nor are they terrorists. In the same way, ESN operatives have never indulged in any form of criminality nor are involved in any destructive activities that can cause the land of Biafra and Ndigbo any harm.

“Instead, IPOB and ESN members have been at the forefront of providing security against the marauding Fulani terrorists against Ndigbo. One must wonder why the Nigerian government and her murderous military are against IPOB and ESN, who are deterring the Fulanis terrorists onslaught against the Igbos”

According to IPOB, the recent claim of killing four IPOB and ESN operatives at a forest in Isuochi “is another lie because there was no record of confrontation between ESN and the Nigerian Army.”

“Moreso, ESN does not have camp in the said location. If the claims of killing 4 Igbo men and women by the Nigerian Army is true, the Nigerian Army has just killed innocent people. Those murdered are innocent Igbo people. That is to confirm the furthering of the silent genocide being committed by the Nigerian Army against Ndigbo,” the statement said.

IPOB further called on the Nigerian Army to cease and desist from blackmailing IPOB and ESN when they kill innocent Biafran citizens. “We are not criminals nor terrorists to be killed like animals,” the separatist group said.