The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Friday declared the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a “terrorist organization.”
A statement signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen John Enenche in Abuja listed reasons why the group was declared a terrorist organization to include the formation of a Biafra Secret Service; formation of Biafra National Guard; unauthorized blocking of public access roads; extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.
Others include: Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on the September 10; physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a checkpoint on September 11, 2017 and also attempts to snatch their rifles and attack by IPOB members at a military checkpoint on September 12, 2017, at Isiala Ngwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.
Enenche said after due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient to notify the general public that the claim by IPOB actors that the organisation is non-violent is not true.
“From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to confirm to the general public that IPOB from all intent, plan and purpose as analysed, is a militant terrorist organisation.
“Therefore, parents and particularly unsuspecting residents of the South East and other Nigerians should advice their wards to desist from joining the group.
“The Defence Headquarters restates its commitment to handling all the security challenges in the country and further assures all Nigerians of the protection of lives and property.”
However, in a swift reaction, the IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu told The Channels Television in a telephone interview that IPOB is a non-violent group and should not be tagged a terrorist group.
When asked why the group was recruiting a secret army, Kanu said that his group was not recruiting any secret army, but a vigilante group, insisting that his group would follow due process in challenging the declaration by the army.
Also speaking, the former president Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Dozie Ikedife, wondered how the military arrived at declaring a non-violent group like IPOB a violent group.
“I challenge the military to define what is a terrorist group and how IPOB was tagged one. Well, I am very surprised. But this may be a case of calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it. The world is watching,” Ikedife said.
