Views: Visits 14 …Nobody can criminalize us – Community By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri Community stakeholders of the Umuneke-Nta in Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo state, yesterday berated the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for alleging that the late Ikonso’s second in command of the IPOB/Eastern Security Network, ESN, Anwurum Eze, popularly known as Maputo, had an issue with their monarch before Maputo was arrested in Aba, Abia state. Vanguard in Owerri gathered from Umuneke -Nta, that concerned stakeholders were seen angrily discussing the matter in their area. As part of their measure to put the record straight, they have started to mobilize their people within and outside to vehemently dissociate the community, monarch from any attempt to criminalize them in any form before any authority by IPOB.
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There is palpable tension and fear in South-East and South-South states following plans by the Federal Government to deploy more military assets, including troops, intelligence personnel and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the areas.
Already, a clampdown is ongoing, targeted at pro-Biafra groups there including newspaper distributors and vendors selling published materials on Biafra.
The two regions, had, in recent weeks, come under attack by armed groups, who killed policemen as well as burnt police stations and correctional facilities in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
Imo has been the worst hit, as security forces have been combing the communities in search of members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its vigilante outfit, Eastern Security Network (ESN). ESN commander, Kanayo Nwokike (Ikonso) was recently ‘neutralized’ by security forces in his community, Awomamma in Oru East, Imo State, while
IPOB refutes report of ESN second in command’s arrest
The Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari and the military authorities to be mindful of the implications of the shoot-on-sight directive in the garb of new security measures in the South East and South-South regions of the country.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, specifically urged the Federal Government to consider the constitutional obligations of the rules of engagement and respect for citizens’ rights, genocide and crimes against humanity, as enshrined in international charters.
The group carpeted President Buhari for his persistent marginalisation and scheming out of the South East from commanding position of significance in the defence institutions to such a ridiculous extent that no Igbo military officer attended the last meeting during which a decision to introduce new security measures for South East a
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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Thursday refuted claims by the Nigerian Army that a top official of the group was arrested in Aba, Abia State.
The army had said in a statement on Wednesday night by its spokesman Brigadier-General Mohammed Yerima that a top commander of IPOB’s security arm the Eastern Security Network (ESN) was arrested. It identified him as Awurum Eze, saying that many IPOB members in state custody had confirmed he was the second-in-command to Ikonso who was recently killed by the country’s security forces.
IPOB in a statement by its spokesman Emma Powerful said the man arrested by the army was too old to be recruited into the ESN.
Military sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that the reinforcements were drawn from some battalions including the 231 Tank Battalion in Biu, Borno State, which is under the 3 Armoured Division, Jos, Plateau State.