The leadership of the outlaw organisation want members of the comity of nations to prevail on the Nigerian government to stop harassment and killing of its members

THE Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, has appeal to Israel and other world governments to prevail on Nigeria government to stop killing members of the group. The IPOB alleged that security agencies had killed some Biafra agitators who visited Nigeria before Christmas and beyond from different countries.

The group in a press statement said Biafrans were humiliated and hunted down in their respective families and communities especially since Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, snapped pictures with Israeli national coordinator. It noted that family members of the IPOB supporters are under serious attack by DSS and other security operatives. “IPOB alerted the world governments of the danger faced by Biafra agitators’ family’s in Nigeria since the appearance of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in the state of Israel on October 2018,” it said.

According to the IPOB leadership, the appeal had become necessary following reports that some of its members seeking refuge in some foreign countries face threat because of their involvement in the struggle for Biafra freedom. It stated that the lives of its members in Biafraland are in danger of summary execution by security operatives in Nigeria.

“We certainly discovered that two of our members who were recently arrived from the state of Israel got killed by Nigerian Army and dumped in a boro pit in Aba, Abia State. We, therefore, plead with governments of the world especially the Israeli Government and other western countries to give any support necessary to save the lives of IPOB members who eventually come to Nigeria.

“It is important we remind the whole world that those who were coming back from other parts of the world including Israel are facing serious persecutions here in Nigeria, particularly those who snapped pictures with IPOB leader. Just last week two young men who came back from Israel were killed and dumped along the road and in bush in Aba, Abia state.”

The IPOB said it had been informed that even its coordinator in Israel, Ibezim Obiorah Augustine’s family is also facing threat from the DSS and other security operatives. The pro -Biafra group appealed to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to intervene and save the lives of Augustine and his families as well as other members in Israel.

It also alleged that two of its members were killed by soldiers at Asa Nnentu market Aba, during a campaign rally in Asannetu motor spare parts market, where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State collaborated with Nigerian Army shot many of its members in the market. But Uche Ogah and his campaign organisation had denied the allegation without delay.

The Nigerian government had in 2017 proscribed the IPOB as a terrorist organisation. This was shortly before the invasion of the home of Kanu. Ever since then, the IPOB members had gone underground in Nigeria except occasionally as anyone arrested with the IPOB insignia is treated as a terrorist by the Nigerian authorities.

The IPOB has also vowed to sustain its agitation for Biafra independence despite stiff resistance by the authorities, adding that no amount of intimidation or provocation will make it reconsider its non-violent approach.

– Feb. 13, 2019 @ 13:35 GMT |