By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called for an independent investigation into extrajudicial killings in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

The group, meanwhile, commended the security forces and vigilante operatives for dislodging the criminals inside the Mother Valley camp in Orsu, while also hailing” the gallant men of Eastern Security Network (ESN) for frustrating the plans” of the criminals.

IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, and made available to journalists in Awka said that it is a known fact that the barbarians who branded themselves as Biafra Liberation Army under the command of Finland based Simon Ekpa were recruited and armed them to impersonate IPOB and ESN.

The statement partly read: “They were commanded to destabilize the entire Eastern Region (South East and South South) using the illegal detention of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as an excuse.

“The objective was to use the criminals to shop for evidence that will be used to support the bogus terrorism charges against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“It is public knowledge that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been illegally detained arbitrarily for almost four (4) years. More so, to use the violent activities of these sponsored criminals to blackmail IPOB locally and internationally. Unfortunately, for the criminals and their sponsors, the IPOB media team and other conscientious freedom lovers across the globe were constantly debunking and disassociating IPOB from the Autopilot criminals and their infamous Biafra Liberation Army.

“IPOB salutes all men and women of goodwill who helped in defeating the media onslaught against IPOB, thereby separating the chaffs from the wheats.

“Within the horrific three (3) years of brutal violence against Ndigbo and brutal media war against IPOB and ESN by the Nigerian government and its compromised politicians, IPOB Media has constantly condemned and publicly mentioned the names of some of the notorious criminals operating from the infamous Mother Valley in Orsu and Okigwe all in Imo State through Radio Biafra and regular press releases.”

IPOB insisted that it was the first group to mention the names of the killers in Orsu Community and its environs led by Temple, aka Butuzo.

It added: “The questions begging for answers is why was Imo State a habitat for these State sponsored criminals? Is Imo State and some neighboring Anambra Communities the only Biafra States?

“Why did it take over three years for the notorious Nigerian Joint Security Taskforce to dislodge those criminals in the Mother-Valley camp, the hideout which information was in the public domain? However, we commend efforts made to reclaim the deserted Orsu Community by the Nigerian Security Joint Taskforce.

“We also commend ESN Operatives for frustrating the criminals from destabilizing the entire region. Now that the Orsu community under the autopilot kingpin commander Butuzor has been freed, the same Joint Security Taskforce should move into Aku forest in Okigwe where another autopilot commander Gentle Yahoo has laid siege on the neighboring communities.

“IPOB and ESN do not support violence against innocent people. We have constantly called out these criminals terrorizing Ndigbo in the name of Biafra agitation. IPOB condemns violence against Ndigbo, whether from criminals or from the Nigerian Security Agencies.

“Sadly, the gruesome killings that took place in the Orlu zone in Imo State and in Anambra neighboring communities were sponsored by well-known actors in government.”

Continuing, IPOB said: “Having commended the late hour intervention of the Nigerian Security Forces on the reclaiming of Orsu community from their criminal collaborators, we demand an independent investigation into the destruction that took place in the Orlu zone of Imo State and the neighboring communities in Anambra State.

“IPOB will support every genuine fight against crimes and terrorism. But we are against unwanted blackmail against IPOB and ESN. IPOB and ESN are doing what is needed to keep Alaigbo safe and to deter both the sponsored criminals and kidnappers. One by one, ESN is apprehending some of those criminals that used IPOB and ESN to commit crimes just to blackmail the disciplined self-determination movement, and we are handling them in our own way.”

The separatist urged the Nigerian Security Forces to stop the indiscriminate arrest of Igbo youths and also, stop tagging them ESN or IPOB, noting that neither IPOB members nor ESN Operatives are criminals.

“We are a non-violent civilian volunteer movement. At the same time, we are defending our people from State sponsored terrorism and persecution. Biafrans Self Determination movement via Referendum is anchored on self-preservation of Ndigbo's lives and customs.

“The future of Ndigbo is bleak in Nigeria. The reason is that Nigeria is a British creation meant to undermine the industrious, creativity, and ingenuity of Ndigbo in order to continue stealing our natural resources.

“We are not against any genuine security agency, be it local vigilante groups or the Nigerian Security Agents' efforts to get rid of the criminals from the South East.

“However, we are against ethnically instigated killings by the anti-Igbo militias and the Nigerian Security Forces. We urge the Nigerian Security Agents to always conduct themselves professionally and to conduct unbiased investigation and to stop tagging our youths as ESN Operatives.

“There are no ESN Operatives or ESN camps in our communities. ESN Operatives are in our bushes and forest carrying out their primary duty to dislodge the criminals, kidnappers, and Fulani terrorists nicknamed herdsmen. ESN does not attack Nigerian Security Forces. But if the Nigerian Security Forces attack ESN in the bushes to pave the way for the Fulani terrorists, we make sure that they meet their match.

“Once again, IPOB commends all the interventions that helped to dislodge the criminals in the Orsu community after they had wreaked havoc and left the communities in ruin for over 3 years. It's better late than never.

“However, we demand an independent investigation into the actions and effects of what happened in those affected communities. The actors and their militias we have named above and the others should be investigated and, if found culpable, should be prosecuted.

“Finally, the Nigerian government and the Imo State Government should compensate the affected Communities and those who lost their loved ones, including victims of extrajudicial executions from the Nigerian Security Forces and the State sponsored militias,” IPOB stated.