A stern warning has been issued by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB to Enugu State government to desist from associating its operatives with the Finland-based Simon Ekpa’s auto-pilot fighters.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, saying Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State err by associating IPOB with Simon Ekpa.
IPOB said, its militant wing or the Eastern Security Network should not be associated with auto-pilot of Mr Ekpa.
The statement was in response to claims by Enugu State Governor on Wednesday, asserting that 21 IPOB operatives, kidnappers and other criminal elements were killed within two weeks by the joint security operatives in Enugu State.
Mbah said, the IPOB operatives are members of auto-pilot, who are the armed wing of Finland-based agitator, Simon Ekpa.
However, Emma Powerful denied and described the report as fabricated and fallacy being peddled by Enugu State governor.
He said: “The claim is not only false but also a cheap propaganda against IPOB and ESN,” the IPOB spokesperson said, questioning why the state government associated the criminals with the IPOB.
“In the usual malicious intent of the Nigerian governmental bodies, the police claimed that the so-called neutralised criminals were ESN operatives loyal to Autopilot IPOB.
“For a long time, IPOB has maintained that there is nothing like Autopilot in IPOB.”
He said the “criminals and kidnappers have nothing in common with IPOB, ESN, and the Biafra struggle.
“The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mba and the Nigeria Police in Enugu State should stop being maliciously mischievous. They should stop the unnecessary blackmail against IPOB and call the criminals by their name.
“Already, the criminals captured said where they belong, and it is not with the IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“We are warning the Enugu State Governor’s media office to desist from linking ESN and IPOB to the self-acclaimed Autopilot leader, a double agent in Finland, and his criminals in Enugu, and anywhere else.”
He said that all the ESN operatives are under the command of the Directorate of States (DOS) of the IPOB, and that there are no ESN operatives loyal to Ekpa.
“IPOB has no faction nor any affiliates. If not IPOB, it’s not IPOB,” he stressed, adding, “The group by themselves have stated that they do not belong to IPOB and ESN, why is the Nigerian government and her security forces forcing them on IPOB and keep associating them with IPOB and ESN?”
He insisted that “ESN operatives don’t get involved in any criminal activities”.
He said, “They are disciplined vigilantes who are strictly focused on their mandate of dislodging terrorists and herdsmen from destroying our farmers and farmlands.
“ESN operatives have never been involved in crimes, nor have they threatened the peace and security of South-East that they vowed to protect.”
