The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the alleged declaration of the Biafra Republic by certain members of a Finland-based group, labeling the move a scam.
In a statement released on Sunday, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful urged the public to disregard the declaration, accusing those involved of sponsoring insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East region.
Powerful further stated that the individuals behind the declaration aim to destabilize the South-East, sow division, incite panic, and divert the focus of Biafrans and their supporters from the core struggle for Biafra.
He emphasized that IPOB recognizes no other Biafra declaration apart from the one made in 1967 by its late leader, Dim Ojukwu, and described those involved in the Finland declaration as criminals and impostors.
The statement read in parts, “The noble family of IPOB led by the leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wishes to disassociate itself from the purported Biafra second declaration by an infamous no-name group. The so-called declaration is a scam. There is no room for another Biafra declaration besides the one our eternal leader, Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, declared in 1967.
“IPOB wishes to commend responsible media organisations and social media bloggers in Nigeria and in the diaspora that didn’t give attention to the mockery of the Biafra struggle by infiltrators in Finland and elsewhere. However, it is imperative to inform the international community, Biafrans, friends of Biafra, and lovers of Biafran freedom that Biafra had been declared by our eternal leader late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in 1967.
“What IPOB is doing is to restore the sovereignty of the declared Biafra Independence that was forced to surrender through genocide by the Nigerian and British governments. IPOB is calling for a United Nations-supervised referendum for Biafrans so that the declared sovereignty can be restored.
“Biafra cannot be declared for the second time by anyone. It is sad that some unscrupulous elements who failed in the mission to infiltrate and destroy IPOB went into the jamboree they claimed was Biafra’s second declaration outside the Biafra territory. Biafrans and IPOB, in particular, are happy that the fun fare the infiltrators had in Finland this weekend was ignored by all responsible media organisations.”
The group noted that persons involved in the purported second declaration in Finland “were among the sponsors of insecurity in the South-East region. Their agenda is to destabilise the South-East, divide the people, and divert the attention of Biafrans and those sympathetic to the Biafra struggle by making the genuine Biafra struggle unattractive to our people. They failed woefully.”
Powerful stated that IPOB is a well-informed movement dedicated to championing the restoration of Biafra’s sovereignty and freedom. He emphasized that the group cannot engage in self-deception or defrauding people under the guise of the Biafra project.
“The ‘Autopilot criminals’ making money from some of their ignorant followers to make an international mockery of the Biafra struggle will all pay a price. IPOB will not come after them, but the blood of the fallen heroes of Biafra will chase and hunt them down.
“Those who have funded infiltrators that gathered for a picnic in Finland have been scammed. Now that the infiltrators and agent of provocateurs have declared their independence in Finland, we hope they will enjoy their freedom stop interfering with IPOB’s peaceful struggle end engagement for the restoration of the Biafra Nation.
“This press release is to keep the record straight and to disassociate IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from the idiocy exhibited in Finland called Biafra second declaration. The Finland Biafra declaration is a pure scam by some agent provocateurs,” added the statement.
(Punch Newspaper)
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