Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The Anambra Vigilant Group (AVG) has urged the Federal Government through the office of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, to declare the spokesperson of the proscribed secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Emmanuel Ihejionueme (a.k.a.) Emma Powerful, wanted for terrorism.
The call by the AVG came in the wake of the cruelty cum senseless killings of innocent Nigerians believed to be perpetrated by IPOB, using social and traditional media to instigate the barbaric acts by the said Emmanuel Ihejionueme.
Unveiling the real identity of Emma Powerful while fielding answers to questions from the media in his Awka office on Monday, the Anambra Vigilant Group, Public Affairs Officer, Moses Ejindu, said Emmanuel Ihejinueme Elelem (a.k.a.) Emma Powerful, hailed from Elelem in Ngo-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, adding that Emma Powerful was actually an office that different top notch IPOB members operated, using the code name, “Emma Powerful”, so as to confuse the Nigerian security operatives.
‘He is married with children. He was a bus conductor and motorcycles’ emblem seller in Onitsha. Having instigated the killings of innocent Nigerians, the self-acclaimed journalist, flew to Ghana for safety, the AVG information officer submitted.
Challenging Emma Powerful to come out in the open and prove his blackmail against AVG and the Anambra State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Hon. Chikodili Anara, of having aided and abetted the criminalities in some communities like Ugbene, Achalla, Nando, Isuana Ocha, Ebenebe, Ukwulu, Igbariam, Amanuke communities and other parts of the state, Ejindu said the continued efforts of Emma Powerful to smear what he described as the good work of the governor, the AVG and, Hon. Chikodili Anara, had failed on arrival, as his antics of blackmail were already in the public domain.
It will be recalled that since the inauguration of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of Anambra State last year, the state government had recorded tremendous achievements in the areas of dislodging the outlawed group and its armed Eastern Security Network, ESN, from their hideouts across the state.
Disclosing that all the insecurity currently ravaging the South East was borne out of the imagination of the ‘jobless and noxious Emma Powerful’, Ejindu prayed the federal government to invoke the laws of the land on Emma Powerful, in order to address the insecurity in the South East Region.
According AVG; ‘The proscribed group is not too comfortable with the high level of manhunt they face in our hands, courtesy of the office of State Homeland Security Commissioner. We have vowed to capture Emmanuel Ihejionuem, hand him over to security agencies for prosecution anytime, anywhere he is sighted in the South East.
The criminal hunt we have mounted against the lawless group is not going to stop, until we rout all their criminal hideouts that Emmanuel Ihejionuem and his partners-in-crime use to kidnap and rob under point and kill as if they can create human beings.
‘We are aware that the reason behind what IPOB, through the instigation of their Director, Media and Publicity Secretary, is doing is to scuttle the determination of the Honouarble Commissioner to flush out criminal elements in Ugbene, Achalla, Nando, Isuana Ocha, Ebenebe, Ukwulu, Igbariam, Amanuke communities and other parts of the state,’ he said.
Reacting to the IPOB claims that the Homeland Security Commissioner masterminded the criminal activities happening in some communities in the State, the AVG spokesman dusted the allegations and noted that the positive track records of the Commissioner represented the stuff he was made of.
On the alleged unholy romance of the Homeland Security Commissioner with some criminals operating in the above-named communities and Ogbaru, the AVG openly accused IPOB of sponsoring the criminals with the motive to incite the citizenry against ‘the good work AVG has been doing in Anambra State’.
‘Yes, accepted that some youths who claimed to be IPOB/ ESN are operating in some hideouts, we are also aware of the criminal camps at Ugwuaborshi and Isiodo where the criminals operate and we are challenging IPOB Director, Media, and Publicity, to explain why ESN should not join hands with AVG (if they are interested to secure our people) to flush out the criminals if they are not behind the crimes.
‘It is noteworthy that the Commissioner and AVG have sworn never to give a breathing space to the activities of the bad elements and we have resolved to recapture all the camps presently occupied by the criminal elements. IPOB’s design to distracts us through coming up with unfounded allegations cannot deter AVG from our legitimate operations,’ Ejindu vowed.
Challenging Emma Powerful’s denial that he was not behind duping their unsuspecting victims, Ejindu added; ‘The IPOB and their co-sponsors should stop hiding but come bold and prove their claims and if Emma Powerful is denying using his proscribed group to dupe their unsuspecting victims, let him come bold and disclose his means of livelihood.
‘Hon. Chikodili Anara, to the best of our knowledge, never in any way had any discussion with Emma Powerful and has nothing with someone who is in hiding with unidentified means of livelihood. Emma Powerful should stop his act of blackmail as one day, the vulture will surely state how it was made the king of animals,’ Ejindu concluded.