The Indigenous People of Biafra says desperate Igbo politicians are behind the fake news of Ezenachukwu Okwudili as the new leader of the pro-Biafra group

THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday took a swipe at those it described as desperate Igbo politicians, accusing them of being behind the report that a factional leader, has emerged in the pro-Biafra group in the person of one Ezenachukwu Okwudili.

A statement made available by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, described Ezenachukwu Okwudili as a faceless, computer-generated name, dismissing the report of his purported emergence as laughable.

Mr. Powerful said it was an attempt by those he described as treacherous Igbo politicians to please their Hausa-Fulani masters in a bid to convince them that they are succeeding in their effort to divide and destroy IPOB.

The statement reads: “Nigerian government, out of desperation to divert attention from relentless criticisms of its role in the massacre of indigenes of Abia State in cold blood and invasion of the home of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, quickly decided to use the newly launched BBC Igbo Service and national newspapers to launch what they thought would be a decisive counter attack to neutralise the adverse publicity their actions were generating.

“They also timed the unveiling of their computer generated Okwudili to coincide with the release of a new Amnesty International report on Nigeria which showed that hundreds of unarmed IPOB agitators were brutally mowed down in cold blood at Kanu’s residence in Afaraukwu Umuahia Abia State.

“We, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), therefore view it as laughable these latest attempts to confuse the public and sow the seed of doubt in the minds of IPOB faithful. Nobody exists today that bears the name Ezenachukwu Okwudili.

“If this person does exist, how come he has no village, no town where he comes from, no place of residence or work?

“He is a phantom, a total fabrication and exists only on DSS computer hard drive and imagination of some Igbo politicians.

“There is no better way for them to start than through creating a false impression that Kanu misled them, thereby creating an opening in the minds of the gullible to introduce this fraud they called  Okwudili to forcefully and fictitiously  assume the sacred mantle of leadership of the most noble IPOB.

“The Igbo politicians are doing this to weaken and divide IPOB, but they cannot and will never slow down our pace, talk less of dividing us. They exist and operate in Nigeria, whereas IPOB has recognisable footprints in over 100 countries and territories around the world.

• “The issue of Okwudili and faction in IPOB is therefore fake news.” – News Express