The Indigenous People of Biafra has asked security agencies in the country to act professionally in flushing out criminal elements in the South-East.

In a statement on Wednesday, the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said those killed by soldiers in Iheoma and Amaifeke, in the Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State were not IPOB members or Eastern Security Network operatives “because IPOB volunteers don’t enforce non-existent Monday sit-at-home”.

Powerful called on the stakeholders of the Eastern region to come together and fight the criminals trying to blackmail and demonise IPOB.

He pointed out that the hoodlums disturbing the South-East are not IPOB members and that the military should flush them out without tagging them IPOB members.

He said, “It is not in doubt that IPOB issued Monday sit-at-home order to solidarise with our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but upon pleas by our mothers and elders based on its adverse effects on the economy of our people, we quickly rescinded it.

“Anyone still enforcing Monday sit-at-home is not a genuine IPOB member but a dissident and doesn’t deserve any mercy.”

He, however, commended the security agencies for dealing with the dissidents just as he dissociated them from being members of IPOB.

He told the security agencies to stop referring to such dissidents as IPOB members as they do not belong to the group while advising them to be professional in dealing with such characters so that innocent citizens are not caught in the crossfire.

The statement read in part, “It should be noted that IPOB volunteers are not in the market or streets, they know their duty posts – in the bushes and forests of Biafraland protecting our farmlands from the Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen in our territory.

“It’s unfortunate that the Nigeria security agencies are turning the truth upside down because they want the public to believe they are working hard while in reality they are pursuing an Islamist agenda.

“They kill innocent citizens on the streets and tag them IPOB members and ESN operatives.
Nigerian army should leave the people of Orlu in peace and allow them go about their daily business and focus on the terrorists and bandits in the North where killings are the order of the day.

“We remind them once again that IPOB is not responsible for these criminalities in the whole of Biafraland, including Iheoma and Amaifeke in Orlu. IPOB is not missing any of its member in Orlu.

“These criminals are kidnapping, snatching cars and killing innocent citizens claiming they are IPOB and ESN members while they are not. They deserve no mercy. They are not worthy to live. Whoever is sponsoring them should be brought to book.”