Three people who were detained by the Anambra State Police Command for extorting people and threatening them with death have been disputed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The males were taken into custody in the local government areas of Umunze, Ozubulu, Orumba South, and Ekwusigo.
The suspects are skilled at issuing threats to neighbours, claiming to be leaders of the militant Eastern Security Network (ESN) faction of IPOB, threatening to kill or kidnap them and their families unless they pay certain amounts of money.
However, IPOB denied that any of its members extort the public in a statement released by Emma Powerful, the organization’s media and publicity secretary.
The police, according to the cessationist group, are intentionally slandering the group in order to damage their reputation.
“ESN and IPOB are not lawbreakers. However, the Nigerian government is often spreading false information about IPOB in an attempt to weaken the movement and turn Biafrans against ESN.
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“They attach every crime in Biafra Land to IPOB and ESN when they are unable to produce any propaganda or blackmail against them. Nigeria DSS has established multiple criminal groups in the southeast that, when apprehended by security personnel, pretend to be IPOB and ESN.
“For their covert criminal operations, some of these criminals received uniforms from the army and the police.” The Nigerian Security Forces would even force certain small-time offenders to admit to being members of IPOB or ESN when they are apprehended. The Nigeria Police Force’s incessant self-loathing in an attempt to blackmail IPOB is absurd.
“Neither IPOB nor ESN threaten or implores our people to back the revolution. We also don’t take part in any activities that could endanger the people we are trying to safeguard.
“The best that IPOB can do is ask passionate Biafrans for voluntary financial support to enable ESN to carry out its primary mission of defending our territories against Fulani invaders. Nobody can or has been threatened for supporting the cause.
