The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday dismissed reports that the Nigerian Army killed 27 Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives in August.
IPOB accused the Nigerian Army of spreading falsehoods against the Biafran movement.
It was reported that the Nigerian Army’s “Operation Udo-Ka” in the Southeast killed 27 ESN operatives and arrested over 51 civilians in August.
Emma Powerful, the spokesman of IPOB, said one of those arrested, Sunday Afordimnze Asika aka Aboy Ekwensu, whom the Nigerian Army claimed to have arrested in Ezinifite in Aguata LGA of Anambra State, has never been an ESN member.
A statement by Powerful reads: “The Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wishes to inform Biafrans and the general public, particularly Ndigbo, that the concocted propaganda being peddled by the murderous Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters—claiming that its ‘OPERATION UDO-KA’ in the Southeast Region killed 27 ESN operatives and arrested over 51 civilians in August—is nothing but falsehood from the pit of hell targeted against the Biafran freedom movement. The Nigerian Army is just talking trash because they did not engage ESN at any place in the East.
“It is very essential that Biafrans understand the mind game being played out by the Nigerian Security apparatus, primarily meant to demoralize, create doubt, and erode faith among Biafrans in the only institution standing between them and their desire to overrun our land through their proxy terror outlet, the Fulani herdsmen.
“We want to categorically state that no IPOB member or ESN operative is missing within the said period. All ESN operatives and formations in Biafran land are fully intact and accounted for.
“The Nigerian military operation code-named ‘UDO-KA’ is another ‘Python Dance’ that the Nigerian Army has adopted to slaughter innocent people and forcibly disappear Igbo youths in the Southeast Region.
“The so-called ESN operatives that the military claimed to have killed are innocent Igbo youths they picked up at random in our villages and cities.
“Also, the over 51 civilians (that number may be over 100 persons) they claimed to have arrested are innocent people who may have been forcibly disappeared and their organs harvested by the murderous Nigerian Army.
“The Nigerian Army’s major source of revenue presently is the harvest of the organs of innocent Biafrans arrested at their numerous checkpoints scattered all over Biafraland.
“It’s sad that the Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters boldly announces daily how many Ndigbo youths they murder in our land, whereas the Northern region, where terrorists and bandits have seized their equipment and are wreaking havoc, is not as heavily militarized as Biafran territory.
“If the Nigerian government thinks that they can break our resolve with their continuous silent genocide, then they haven’t learned anything from history. IPOB and ESN will neither retreat nor surrender our march to freedom until a Biafra referendum is peacefully organized or our objective is achieved through other means. We have decided to restore Biafra no matter the obstacles we may encounter on our way to Biafra freedom.
“On the other hand, the man called Sunday Afordimnze Asika aka Aboy Ekwensu, whom the Nigerian Army claimed to have arrested in Ezinifite in Aguata LGA of Anambra State, has never been a member of IPOB and can never be an ESN operative.
“The Nigerian government and its murderous military apparatus should stop their cheap propaganda of attributing every Biafran youth they kidnap as an IPOB member or ESN operative.
“Their cheap propaganda is not holding any water and will never hold water. Instead, it’s diminishing the reputation of the Nigerian Army. In fact, Ndigbo and the international community know that the architects of terror and insecurity in Biafra land are the Nigerian Security Forces, not IPOB or ESN.”