The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied having any hand in the alleged murder of eight northerners living in Orogwe, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Orogwe is a suburb community in Owerri, the state capital.
The outlawed group, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, described the police linking of the alleged killing to IPOB as fabrication.
The statement reads: “IPOB has not and will never attack any peaceful individual or group of people doing legitimate business or trading in our territory. We are only after those criminals created by Nigeria security agencies and bandits they brought into our territory masquerading as herdsmen who kidnap for ransom, rape our women and murder our farmers in our forests and bushes.
“IPOB will never succumb to pressure and blackmail from pursuing those terrorists masquerading as herdsmen in our bushes and forests. ESN has been dealing and dislodging those sponsored terrorists and will continue to do so until they vacate our forests and bushes, we do not have any business attacking known residents we have been living with over the years.
“The Nigeria Police and its sister security agencies operating in Biafraland should therefore leave IPOB alone to sanitize our territory of terrorists, they should stop linking us with their senseless, barbaric and sponsored killings.
“IPOB has severally said that we have nothing against Hausa and Fulani people living peacefully and doing their legitimate businesses, anybody linking IPOB to the alleged recent attack in Imo State is doing that to demonize and blackmail IPOB, they are not saying the truth.
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“In over 100 countries where IPOB operates, the people and their governments acknowledge that IPOB is a peaceful movement and family seeking freedom from its Nigeria Pharaohs. It is only in Nigeria that IPOB is demonized, blackmailed and their members killed extra judicially like terrorists.
“IPOB did not, will not harm or kill anyone in Imo State on Monday because we are peaceful and have not indulged in enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order. We are focused on rescuing Biafrans from damnable Nigeria Republic.
“We wonder why Nigeria government using their stooge in Imo State to cause confusion and collaborating with the Ebubeagu militia to murder innocent citizens, while using the police and DSS agents to shield them.”