Politics
by Anthony Isibor
…Urges President Tinubu to deproscribe the group
AN investigative journalist Kemi Lawrence has alleged that proscribing the Indigenous People Of Biafra as a terrorist organisation by former President Muhammadu Buhari was a false narrative sold to the country.
And that the Indigenous People of Biafra are exactly what they say they are, indigenous people of Biafra.
Kemi, who made the disclosure in a video on 8th of October 2024, also disclosed that Buhari used his power to proscribe the IPOB as a terrorist group and used the Department of State Security, DSS, under the leadership of Magaji Bichi to fuel the narrative.
She alleged that some northern Fulani herdsmen were sponsored and planted in the areas of Imo and Ebonyi states to cause mayhem by politicians in the National Assembly, “Hausa politicians” and accused the security operatives of giving killer herdsmen a new name – “Unknown Gunmen, UGM” to sell their narrative .
“They moved them from the Benue Plateau area down to the southeast to start killing people. People’s families, people’s loved ones. And the IGP has never been able to fish out the sponsors.
“So what happens is this young men called the IPOB, they formed their own little army, ESN, which was not recognized by the government for their protection.
“They were protecting the community. You see that ESN, They were now protecting the corners of the southeast so that their own people, their mothers, their grandmothers, their children, their families wouldn’t be killed, but the government now turned around and put ESN as the next terrorist faction under the IPOB.
“I have researched Undercover okay, as an investigative journalist, I’m retired, but I’m telling you now. It was really the Fulani herdsmen that they pointed and pictured and placed in strategic positions in the southeast. Let us tell you how national security is done, not all that ‘Ribadu rubbish’ and all these different NSAs that you’re putting there.” she added.
According to the journalist, any powerful person can use that power and abuse it to really fuel a wrong narrative.
“Even Nnamdi Kanu did it, when he said Buhari was dead, everybody believed it in the Southeast.
Watch video:
“I did a social experiment. I said, Nnamdi Kanu, ‘They said he had an illness in Italy, I can’t confirm or deny whether he’s dead.’
“Most of the IPOB people said, I said, Nnamdi was dead, but I only said, I can’t confirm or deny. But they picked up only the death and said, I put out fake news.
“On the social experiment, the reaction I wanted to see from IPOB people was the same treatment they gave Buhari as being dead.
“Let me give them that same treatment and see how they’ll respond.
“The only person that knew about it was the only other person that was reporting about IPOB, and that was the Vanguard.
She also noted that the editor of the vanguard at the time, Eze Anaba, knew that she was the author of the whole episode on whether Nnadi Kanu was dead or not.
Kemi, who explained that she only intended to clear the wrong narrative, sold to Nigerians about IPOB also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do the right thing and deproscribe the group.
“Let’s put social experiments aside. Let’s put Nnamdi’s – Buhari died in London aside.
“Let’s get to the point. The point is that this is 2024, Buhari is no longer in government and there was a false narrative pushed into the heads of Nigerians.
“The IPOB is not a terrorist group. President Tinubu, deproscribe IPOB now, remove the prescription now,” she said.
Kemi, however, added that the president may not do it because of the cabal in Duara, who made him president.
“OK, they’re your godfathers and I know you were never on prescribed or deproscribe, whatever the word is in English.
“You wouldn’t do that with IPOB because they’ll remove you from being president. We know that.
“But the truth cannot be escaped because I’m one brave journalist that I’ve always spoken out when I was in Nigeria, and I will continue speaking out since I’m not there anymore. My voice must be heard. IPOB is not a terror group,” she said.
Meanwhile, Eze Anaba, Editor of Vanguard newspaper and the current President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, says that he doesn’t know who Kemi is and has never met her.
Reacting to the video, Anaba said: “I want to categorically state that I do not know Kemi, the author of the viral video. I have not met Kemi nor had a discussion with her in my life and so remain baffled by her motive of mentioning my name and Vanguard in the video.”
A.I
October 24, 2024
Tags: Eze Anaba IPOB Mohamadu Buhari NGE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
