Irked by the incident yesterday (Monday, January 10, 2022) in Enugu State in which operatives of the Eastern Security Network(ESN) were accused of setting vehicles ablaze on the road to enforce the sit-at-home order, the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) has not only denied the group’s involvement in the incident but has also ordered its security arm, the ESN, henceforth to go after those enforcing the directive it recalled had been suspended since September19 last year.
In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB warned that ESN would shift its activities from the bush to the roads to attack any hoodlum enforcing the ‘non-exitent’ order.
“We have on several occasions explained that IPOB has not authorized anybody to enforce Monday sit-at-home which has been suspended since September 19, 2021. Anybody unleashing sorrow on innocent citizens under the guise of enforcing sit-at-home order is a criminal and does not deserve pity,” IPOB warned in the statement by Comrade Powerful.
“Despite the suspension of Monday Sit-At-Home since 19th of September 2021, some unscrupulous elements and criminals conniving with security agencies and our enemies have continued to inflict pain on our people. Their aim is to blackmail IPOB but they will continue to fail.
“Now, we want to inform our people to stand firm in the fight for their liberty. IPOB did not ask anybody to enforce Sit-At-Home of any kind. Henceforth, ESN operatives will come from the bushes and forests and go after these criminals unleashing mayhem on innocent people and visitors to Biafra land in the name of enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order.”
IPOB while denying the involvement of any of its members in the Enugu incident and other forceful enforcement of the sit-at-home, enjoined the South East Governors to provide adequate security on Mondays in the zone to check the hoodlums from enforcing the order.
He said: “We also ask Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to also deal decisively with any hoodlum using Monday sit-at-home to torture innocent citizens/residents of the state. No genuine member of IPOB or ESN operative is involved in any enforcement of Monday sit-at-home order. Anybody doing so is working against Biafra restoration.
“We equally call on our people and members of the public to skin alive any idiot caught inflicting sorrow on the people in the name of enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order. Such evil soul and messenger of death doesn’t deserve to live. Those shooting sporadically in the market are criminals and bandits using the name of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu and ESN to humiliate our people and demonise the movement. Their aim is to give the federal government excuse to hold our leader perpetually in detention.
“ESN operatives must be ready to confront criminals creating these problems in the name of ESN and IPOB in the region. We have suspended Monday Sit-At-Home a long time ago, and we have not rescinded that decision. Biafrans must be strong to withstand our enemies and their collaborators every Monday.
“IPOB was not formed to terrorise people. We remain peaceful and focused on the pursuit of Biafra freedom and independence.
“Gov. Ugwuanyi and other Govs in the region must provide security for our people on Mondays because ESN is now ready to confront these criminals.
“Nobody should link IPOB or ESN with this bunch of criminal acts in our region and those enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order. How can we stop Sit-At-Home and turn around to compel people to observe it? IPOB are not hypocrites and we must come out victorious.
The media should stop linking IPOB and ESN with the criminals behind this sad development. They are not our members and we can never accommodate these kinds of criminals in our movement and family of IPOB.”
