The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) called on Friday for an investigation into the extrajudicial killings in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
IPOB linked the violence occurring at the Mother Valley camp in Orsu to the Biafra Liberation Army, distancing itself from the activities of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Emma Powerful, the spokesperson for IPOB, praised the efforts to remove criminals from the Orsu community, which has been devastated for over three years. In a signed statement, Powerful claimed that the Biafra Liberation Army was tasked with destabilizing the Southeast, using the illegal detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu as a pretext.
Powerful stated: “The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide calls for an independent investigation into the extrajudicial killings in Orsu and the events surrounding them. We commend the security forces and vigilantes for dislodging the criminals from the Mother Valley camp in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, regardless of the circumstances. Moreover, we applaud the gallant men of ESN who frustrated the plans of state-sponsored criminals, preventing them from destabilizing the entire eastern region.
“It is widely known that the group calling itself the Biafra Liberation Army, led by a chief impersonator currently facing terrorism charges in Finland, was recruited and armed by the Nigerian state to impersonate IPOB and ESN. They were instructed to destabilize the entire Eastern Region (Southeast and South-South) using IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s illegal detention as justification. The objective was to utilize these criminals to gather evidence supporting the unfounded terrorism charges against Nnamdi Kanu, who has been arbitrarily detained for nearly four years.
“Additionally, they aimed to use the violent actions of these sponsored criminals to discredit IPOB both locally and internationally. However, despite their efforts, the IPOB media team and other dedicated freedom advocates worldwide have continually refuted and distanced IPOB from the so-called Autopilot criminals and their infamous Biafra Liberation Army. IPOB salutes all the men and women of goodwill who have helped counteract the media attacks against IPOB, effectively separating truth from falsehood.
“During the three horrific years of violence against the Igbo people and the intensive media campaign against IPOB and ESN by the Nigerian government and its compromised politicians, IPOB Media consistently condemned and publicly identified some of the notorious criminals operating out of the notorious Mother Valley in Orsu and Okigwe, all within Imo State, through Radio Biafra and regular press releases. IPOB was the first group to name the killers in the Orsu community and its surrounding areas, led by a figure known as Temple, alias Butuzo.
“The questions that remain unanswered are: Why has Imo State been a haven for these state-sponsored criminals? Is Imo State, along with some neighboring communities in Anambra, the only Biafra region? Why did it take over three years for the notorious Nigerian Joint Security Taskforce to dislodge these criminals from the Mother Valley camp, a hideout that has been widely known? Nevertheless, we commend the efforts made to reclaim the deserted Orsu community by the Nigerian Joint Security Taskforce. We also commend the ESN operatives for preventing the criminals from destabilizing the entire region.
“Now that the Orsu community, previously under the command of the Autopilot kingpin Butuzo, has been liberated, the Joint Security Taskforce should move into the Aku forest in Okigwe, where another Autopilot commander, Gentle Yahoo, has been terrorizing neighboring communities.
“IPOB and ESN do not condone violence against innocent people. We have consistently denounced these criminals who terrorize the Igbo in the name of Biafra agitation. IPOB condemns violence against the Igbo, regardless of whether it comes from criminals or the Nigerian security agencies.
“Once again, IPOB commends all the efforts that succeeded in dislodging the criminals in Orsu, who have inflicted havoc on the communities for over three years. Although it is better late than never, we demand an independent investigation into the actions and repercussions of the events that occurred in the affected communities. The individuals and militias named above, along with others, should be investigated and prosecuted if found culpable. Finally, we urge the Nigerian government and the Imo State government to compensate the affected communities and those who lost loved ones, including victims of extrajudicial executions by the Nigerian security forces and state-sponsored militias.”
