By Emma Ogbuehi
There are fears of the tenuous relationship between the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and security agents, snapping following the allegation of invasion of the home of its lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in Oraifitte, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra State, by a combined team of Police and soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
A statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, alleged that at about 2.15 am, on Sunday, a combined team of the Police and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, invaded and surrounded Ejiofor’s country home, shooting sporadically, adding that many lives may have been lost in the exercise. It added that Ejimofor’s life was under threat on account of the invasion.
IPOB quoted the lawyer as having stated, “Alert- A joint team of Police and Army are presently in my house shooting sporadically on sight, to arrest me. As a lawyer, I have committed no offence known to the law. My life is under threat, people are being killed and I don’t know what will happen to me next.”
Latching on the alert, IPOB remarked; “Is it an offence for someone to defend IPOB as its lawyer? Barrister Ejiofor is doing his job as a lawyer. Where in the world is a legal practitioner harassed because he represents an organization as their lawyer?
“The Nigerian Army invaded and burnt his house on 2nd December 2019 and killed more than 10 people. Since then they are still trailing and harassing him. The whole world must hear this because the Nigerian government must get what they are looking for from IPOB”.
The group called on the South East governors to call the security agents to order to avoid the situation getting out of hand.
“We call on South-East Governors to call the Nigerian armed forces operating in their States to order now because they will be the ones to bear the consequences of the ongoing killings, intimidation and harassment of South-East youths and professionals discharging their legitimate duties”, the statement added.