Fides Media Living the Faith
The Indigenous People of Biafra has ordered the arrest of Monday sit-at-home enforcers in the South-East. The Media and Publicity Secretary of the secessionist group, Emma Powerful, gave the directive on Thursday in a statement made available to the press in Awka, reports Jude Atupulazi.
He wondered why some people would continue to enforce an order that was long cancelled by IPOB and called on community and religious leaders in the various areas in the region to devise ways of arresting such ‘hoodlums and handing them over to IPOB authorities in the localities.’
It will be recalled that despite IPOB calling off the weekly Monday lockdown, many people in the South East have continued to observe it for fear of coming in harm’s way following the activities of those believed to be against the suspension of the lockdown.
But IPOB in a statement reiterated that it had cancelled the Monday sit- at-home order and warned that anybody or group enforcing the relaxed order was neither from IPOB nor from IPOB Volunteer Group.
‘We are advising our people to ignore anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order and go about their normal business because such persons are working for our enemies and their intention is to blackmail IPOB and set the movement against the people but they won’t succeed.
‘Anyone caught adding to the pain of our people in the name of enforcing Monday sit-at-home order will be treated like the enemy that he or she is.
‘We therefore warn these agents of darkness using the name of IPOB to enforce a non-existent sit-at-home to desist because if we lay hold on them, they will eternally regret their evil actions.
‘Why should such unpatriotic elements be inflicting pain on our people and dragging our image in the mud? IPOB remains a non-violent movement and our peaceful approach for Biafra restoration has not changed.
‘We hereby direct community leaders, market leaders, church leaders, and other institutions of authority in Biafra Land to arrest any hoodlum trying to enforce any sit-at-home on Mondays and hand them over to IPOB. Such criminal elements must be treated in a language they understand,’ the release stated.
It insisted that nobody had the powers to enforce the same suspended sit-at-home, using the name of IPOB.
‘Such a person is an impostor working for the killing squad of the Nigerian DSS and Nigerian security agencies and should be treated as such if apprehended.
‘The only day sit-at-home will be observed in Biafra Land is when our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is appearing in court, and we shall as usual make it public for all to know,’ Powerful said.