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Tag: IPOB

  • Enugu residents protest against IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order

    Enugu residents protest against IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order

    Residents of Enugu State and civil society organisations (CSOs) on Monday staged a protest against the weekly “Sit-At-Home“ order by the Simon Ekpa faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    The protesters, who  converged at the popular Michael Okpara Square as early as 8:am, moved through the Presidential Road, Ogui Road, Ogbete Main Market, Okpara Avenue, Garden Avenue, New haven, Bisala Road and back to Okpara Square.

    They  carried banners and placards with inscriptions such as ”Enough Is Enough”,  “Say No To Sit-At-Home In Enugu”, “Allow The Poor To Breathe”,‘Our Mumu Don Do”, “Enugu People Must Be Freed From The Shackles Of Those Who Want To Hold Them Down”, among others.

    Mrs Onyinye Mammah, the Executive Director, Heroine Women Foundation, who spoke on behalf of the coordinators, said they decided to take the bold initiative following the devastating effects the every Monday “Sit-At-Home“ order were having on state’s economy and that of the entire South-East.

    She said the protesters were made up of residents, CSOs, media, members of women organisations and representative of the 17 council areas in the state.

    “How can you continue to do something that has not benefitted you since it was started? We pay school fees and our children don’t go to school and businesses are shut on Mondays.

    “A few people have decided to create anarchy, take laws into their hands and make life uncomfortable for others.

    “We cannot continue this way and that is why we think there is need to support Gov. Peter Mbah in his effort to end the Mondays Sit-At-Home order”, she said.

    A protester, Mr Arthur Edeh, described the Sit-At-Home order as cancer to Enugu people, its economy and development, pointing out that anybody telling Enugu residents to Sit-At-Home was an enemy to the state.

    According to him, whoever that live abroad and is telling people of the South-East to “Sit-At-Home“ on Mondays do not have their interest at heart.

    “People should feel free to go about their businesses… The security network in Enugu is massive and nobody should threaten you with illegal “Sit-At-Home order“ he advised.

    A representative of Nsukka Council Area, Mr Emeka Nwangwu, said they participated in the protest because they were tired of the “Sit-At-Home“ order.

    “I came from Nsukka to support our governor to end this menace and I am here also to inform our people that Nsukka is free from Mondays “Sit-At-Home“ directive.

    “Opi, Nsukka, Ugwuogo Nike Road are free for movement and people are free to travel anytime without threat and attack.

    “I advise our people to come out en masse to support our governor as we are losing a lot from sitting at home,“ he said.

  • Emefiele: Coalition seeks suspension of DSS boss over agency’s ‘IPOB lawyers’ gaffe

    Emefiele: Coalition seeks suspension of DSS boss over agency’s ‘IPOB lawyers’ gaffe

    A coalition of lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, has said that the allegation by Department of State Services, DSS that the lawyers defending suspended Governor of Central Bank, CBN Godwin Emefiele are IPOB members, is provocative and anti-igbo.

    There was outrage nationwide on Monday over allegation by Department of State Services, DSS that the lawyers defending suspended Governor of Central Bank, CBN Godwin Emefiele are IPOB members.

    The Department of State Services on Tuesday described the lawyers who filed contempt charges against DSS Director-General, Yusuf Bichi, over the continued detention of embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele as “charge and bail lawyers”.

    The service in a series of tweets posted via its official handle noted that the lawyers were headed by an “overzealous and uninformed IPOB/ESN lawyer”.

    The secret police said: “Charge and bail, overzealous uninformed IPOB/ESN lawyer Maxwell Okpara mobilises other like-minded lawyers against DG.SSS. Futile Efforts. Well, Nigerians, beware! This is in bad faith. Transferred aggression. A Biafran Republic agitator and Outlawed IPOB counsel defending the suspended CBN Governor. Is IPOB defending one of theirs.”

    Reacting to what it describes as “unprofessional conduct and ethnic profiling by the DSS,” the coalition of lawyers in a statement signed by Tijani Ahmed and Maxwell Opara demanded sack of director general of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, saying that the DSS is anti-igbo, and outburst is evidence that Emefiele is being held on personal vendetta.

    They noted that the DSS statement is an insult to the sacred institution of the judiciary, hence President Bola Tinubu should ensure the suspension or sack of the DG for such unprofessional conduct.

    The lawyers wondered why and how the secret police arrived at the baseless conclusion that the lawyers are IPOB members.

    They added that the outburst is part of their plans to silence Emefiele’s lawyers because they clearly have nothing against him.

    The groups said: “The DSS is clearly frustrated. They have nothing against Emefiele. This is just an example of kettle calling pot black. A rogue agency who at several occasions refused to obey court orders, is pointing fingers at someone else.

    “How can an intelligence agency, write this kind of trash on her official Twitter handle? A total disgrace. A nation’s secret police tweeting something so irresponsible. The APC led government need to prove to Nigerians that the DSS is an agency of the nation not the political elite by sacking Yusuf Bichi now!!!. We are waiting, the international community is watching. This is disgraceful. We won’t tolerate any disrespect to the judiciary.”

  • Emefiele: ‘Outlawed IPOB counsel defending him’ — DSS

    Emefiele: ‘Outlawed IPOB counsel defending him’ — DSS

    The Department of State Services (DSS) tackled person Maxwell Okpara, the counsel of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

    DSS in a series of tweets on Tuesday, accused Okpara of mobilising “other like-minded lawyers” against Yusuf Bichi, director-general of DSS, over Emefiele’s detention.

    The service wrote: “Charge and bail, overzealous uninformed IPOB/ESN lawyer Maxwell Okpara mobilises other like minded lawyers against DGSS. Futile Efforts. Well, Nigerians, beware! This is in bad faith. Transferred aggression.

    “Is IPOB defending one of theirs? What a contradiction. What’s the connection? Is someone telling us something? May Maxwell be properly educated on points of law, please.”

    Okpara is one of the lawyers fighting to secure the release of the embattled CBN governor.

  • Sit-at-home: Enugu governor, Barr. Mbah tours market, shopping malls

    Sit-at-home: Enugu governor, Barr. Mbah tours market, shopping malls

     

    Enugu State Governor, Barr Peter Mbah, toured various parts of the state capital to monitor compliance with the ban on the illegal sit-at-home declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    The turnout of traders, sellers and buyers alike were very impressive, says Barr Mbah.

    Spar Mall, Roban Stores at Bisalla Road, Market Square, Shoprite, Zenith Bank at Ogui Road, Celebrities, Ogbete Market, Garki Awkunanaw Market, Mayor Market, Abakpa Market, and the State Secretariat, were parts of the areas the governor toured.

    He warned traders fonmd of sitting at home on traders to stop the act or risk losing their shops to serious-minded businessmen.

    He said adequate security had been provided, observing that there had not been any incident of attack since the ban on sit-at-home in June.

    Mbah, who took time to interact with business owners, shoppers, traders as well as civil servants at the State Secretariat, said “it should never be heard that we were cowed because of the threat of violence by these criminals”, noting that “the poverty that will befall us for sitting at home will kill us even faster”.

    “We are losing over N10bn every Monday that we sit at home. Enough is enough. This foolishness must end and it must end now. We cannot be marginalising ourselves and still complain of marginalisation.

    “So, we must say no to sit-at-home because what it means is that we are destroying our employment, our economy, and our GDP. We must erase it from our memories. We should see it as our shameful past, which we do not want to remember. We must put it behind us and forge ahead, ensuring that we work every working day of the week”, he urged Enugu people.

    To the traders at Ogbete, Garki, and other markets, he warned that locking shops on Mondays would no longer be condoned.

    “But you know, there are also consequences for not heeding our orders. Going forward, I want to put you on notice. I will go around the state again on Monday next week. We are going to come with the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority to put a seal on any shop that is found locked on Monday because of the illegal sit-at-home. We will take it that you are not ready to do business.

    “We are going to revoke your license to operate. We will revoke your shop title and reallocate it to someone else, who is ready to do business. This is something we must enforce with effect from Monday next week”, he warned.

    Meanwhile, the market leaders and business owners have assured the governor that they were now ready for full compliance, saying they were already sick and tired of the Monday-sit-at home.

    At the meeting with the Ogbete traders, President of Enugu State Amalgamated Traders Association, Comrade Stephen Aniagu, assured the governor that they had already agreed to commence full business, saying all shops would be open from next Monday.

    Also, the leader of Abakpa Nike Market, Bernard Anike, also assured the governor that they had since started complying with the ban of sit-at-home

    Meanwhile, a development economist, Richard Emeka Ezeh commended Mbah’s determined efforts to bring sit-at-home to an end.

    “I’m surprised to see the governor here. I like it that he is going round to sensitise the people on why they should come out.

    “Employers of labour were losing so much money to sit-at-home. The economy cannot grow when we are losing N10 billion every Monday. As a development economist, I know that the private sector drives every economy, but the private sector cannot thrive in a place where people sit at home.

    “So, let’s continue to convene town hall meetings, engage the youths, engage the artisans, and continue to sensitise the market women,” he said.

    On her part, Chioma Nwagu, said the sit-at-home was killing the economy.

    “We have to come out to do our business. We can’t feed ourselves while staying at home. We have to come out and do our businesses,” she stated.

  • Northern group kicks against calls for Kanu’s release, says he must face trial

    Northern group kicks against calls for Kanu’s release, says he must face trial

    The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has kicked against calls for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

    The coalition in statement on Saturday by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, called on President Bola Tinubu not to fall for the antics of IPOB, insisting that Kanu must face trial.

    The statement reads: “The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has taken stock of events unfolding in Nigeria, noting especially, the unrelenting disturbances created by certain interest groups in the South-East, ignited and incessantly fanned and executed through the force of arms and terrorist tactics by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and co-authors of mindless violence and separatism.

    “CNG has carefully watched and studied these events and actions being perpetrated against the Nigerian state, against Nigerians collectively, and against northerners in particular, with considerable restraint and maturity.

    “Of late however, is the brutal enforcement of a week-long illegal stay-at-home order that mostly affects other Nigerians living as minorities in South-eastern communities, and the renewed resolve by Igbo leaders and elders to secure the unconditional release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu. Matters have reached a point whereby silence has become complicity and inaction no longer an option.

    “The Federal authorities must resist the Igbo campaign of blackmail using Kanu’s release as a precondition for sustainable peace in the land; and to ask the following questions: How would the relations of the over 500 personnel of the various paramilitary organs who were indiscriminately attacked and killed while on duty posts at various checkpoints as a result of the incitement by Kanu.

    “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces how and what words would Mr President use to encourage and retain other officers and men of the various forces if the man who incited the killing of their colleagues were to be released without even a trial?

    “What would be the status of the families and community members of those killed, dispossessed or displaced as a result of the hate campaigns and propaganda conducted by Nnamdi Kanu and sponsored by his regional and ethnic collaborators?

    “How would the authorities react were other regions and people to be encouraged to take the law into their hands in the same manner as Kanu and IPOB?

    “What would Nigeria become if leaders and elders of other ethnicities chose to shied their errant sons from justice by demanding their unconditional release from custody?

    “We call on the federal authorities to disregard the unpatriotic calls by the Igbo leaders for Kanu’s release, and to remain resolute in seeing through his prosecution along with his sponsors, backers and collaborators for the heinous crimes against the Nigerian state and innocent Nigerian citizens; so as not to set the wrong precedent of regional leaders interfering with the course of justice.

    “We remind the President that by acceding to the demands for Kanu’s release, his government would be exposed to questions as to the status of the innocent Nigerian citizens of other regions killed, dispossessed and displaced as a result of Kanu’s incitement.

    “Hence, we call on the Federal Government to intensify ongoing action to disband all militias and armed groups in the South-East and other parts of Nigeria, by resorting to the use of force if need be, to ensure that no group has the capacity to challenge the state in its prerogative to maintain law and order, and protect citizens’ lives and properties.”

     

     

     

  • Nnamdi Kanu’s release will end insurgency in the Southeast – IPOB

    Nnamdi Kanu’s release will end insurgency in the Southeast – IPOB

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has once again appealed to the presidency to consider releasing its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, saying his release will end insurgency in the Southeast.

    IPOB reacted to comments made by the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja over the sit-at-home order by Simon Ekpa.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the new COAS said that the Army no longer condone the sit-at-home order in the Southeast.

    The group said it’s not responsible for Mondays or failed seven-day and purported two-week sit-at-home orders and enforcement.

    A statement by IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, reads: “IPOB worldwide condemns the statement credited to the Nigerian Army linking IPOB to the incessant and destructive sit-at-home orders and enforcement in the Southeast.

    “The Army chief, Gen Lagbaja Taoreed, will not claim ignorance of all the previous press releases written by IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu disassociating ourselves from Simon Ekpa and his criminal sit-at-home enforcers.

    “The reckless and abusive sit-at-home strategy is from the autopilot group led by Simon Ekpa. We have consistently made it known that Simon Ekpa and his autopilot group are not IPOB members and do not represent Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in their violent enforcement of sit-at-home orders.

    “If indeed the Nigeria government and her security agencies are interested in the peace of the Eastern Region, they should release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally, as pronounced by the Appeal Court of Nigeria in Abuja, and see their sponsored criminal agents using Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s detention to perpetrate crime go into oblivion and fade away.”

  • Ohanaeze slams $500,000 bounty on Ekpa, declares him wanted

    Ohanaeze slams $500,000 bounty on Ekpa, declares him wanted

    The Igbo socio -cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has slammed a whopping, $500, 000 bounty on Finland based factional leader, Simon Ekpa of declaring a second Biafra war in the Southeast.

    Ohanaeze made the allegations  on Thursdsay while announcing a $500, 000 bounty on the Biafra Agitator.

    The group’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro made this known via a statement signed and released by him to pressmen.

    The group appealed to president Tinubu to deploy soldiers to mount road block at every corner of the Southeast.

    The statement reads partly: “We are telling Tinubu that the second Biafra war has begun and he should deploy soldiers to all the nooks and crannies of the Southeast.

    “The Southeast governors need help and Ohanaeze is asking the Southeast governors to defend themselves from external enemies.

    “At this point in time, we can’t allow somebody in far-away Finland to dictate the pace.

    “The government of Ebonyi State and the Southeast must ensure that the terrorist activities of Ekpa are solved in his homeland.

    “What we are saying is that Ekpa has declared a second civil war in the Southeast and anybody with useful information will be given $500, 000.

    ”This is a self-help to ensure that our people get a secure environment.

    “The Southeast governors appear to be weak and they are using the wrong approach in dealing with Ekpa. Our suspicion has been confirmed that what Ekpa is doing is to destroy the economy of the Southeast.”

    Ekpa has been at the centre of the renewed crisis across the Southeast following the sit-at-home he declared.

    The latest sit-at-home had crippled the economy of the Southeast.

    There were reports that some Biafra agitators stormed a market place in Ebonyi on Monday and shot sporadically into the air to scare people away from the market in a bid to enforce the sit at home order.

  • Turn IPOB into a political Party – Reno Omokri

    Turn IPOB into a political Party – Reno Omokri

    Nigerian author and social media influencer, Reno Omokri has advised the  Igbos to convert the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) into a political party.

    The socio-political activist said Nigerians would vote for IPOB if it were converted into a political party.

    His Tweet reads: “Play your cards right, and Nnamdi Kanu will be freed. Renounce violence, like the Irish Republican Army did, and convert IPOB into a political party, the way the IRA became Sinn Féin, and democratically seize control of the Southeast, then turn it into a paradise, and other Nigerians will even vote for IPOB party Senators, Governors, and President. Who no like better thing?

    “There is more evidence of love for Ndi’Igbo than any signs of hatred. Yet, you are allowing people who are shooting, beating and molesting you, as they enforce a sit-at-home order, to convince you that other Nigerians, who buy from you, employ you, are employed by you, and rent properties to you, hate you.”

    Omokri cautioned Igbos against listening to Radio Biafra, stressing that it is a propaganda vehicle.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that IPOB has been clamouring for the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who has been detained by the Federal Government for agitating for the republic of Biafra.

  • One dead, many injured as Police, IPOB engage in gun duel

    One dead, many injured as Police, IPOB engage in gun duel

    One hoodlum who was allegedly enforcing sit-at-home order in Ebonyi state has been killed by men of the Ebonyi Police Command.

    Recall that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has always used the sit-at-home order, especially on Mondays to protest the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

    In a video that went viral, the hoodlums  shot sporadically into the air within the Okposi area in the Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, while trying to enforce a sit-at-home order, on Monday, when operatives of the command engaged them in a gun duel.

    In a statement, on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said men of the command gunned down one of the hoodlums, as the shootout ensued.

    The statement read, “On 10/07/2023, at about 1350hrs, some armed men, suspected to be IPOB/ESN members, went to Okposi in Ohaozara LGA and started shooting sporadically into the air.

    “The hoodlums engaged the policemen in a gun duel, which resulted in one of them being neutralised while the others escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds.”

    The police said they recovered one blue Highlander SUV “riddled with bullets”; one pump-action gun; five live cartridges; four handsets; one Sumec Fireman generator; charms; nine expended shell of AK-47 rifle ammunition, among others.

    Meanwhile, the self-acclaimed leader of a splinter group of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, has declared 14 days of sit-at-home in the entire South-East.

    He his declaration came barely 24 hours after the expiration of a seven-day lockdown declared by the same group, which led to killings and destruction of property across South-East.

    In a statement on Tuesday, Ekpa said the imminent sit-at-home order, billed to commence from July 31 through August 14, 2023, was a consequence of the ‘earnest demand’ by southeasterners for a frequent lockdown in the zone.

    According to him, the sit-at-home order was to draw the authorities’ attention to Kanu’s continued detention.

    Ekpa further ordered oil and gas companies operating in the South-South zone to shut down their operations, within the period.

  • Police recover 4 lifeless bodies of suspected fleeing sit-at-home enforcers

    Police recover 4 lifeless bodies of suspected fleeing sit-at-home enforcers

    The Police Command in Enugu State, says it has recovered four lifeless bodies of suspected fleeing sit-at-home enforcers who were overpowered and hit by bullets.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on Saturday in Enugu.

    Ndukwe said that a combined team of tactical police operatives discovered and recovered the lifeless bodies of four of the male hoodlums, in a forest behind G. Ede Filling Station/7-Up, at Awkunanaw, Enugu, where they escaped into.

    He said the development was sequel to the earlier report of operatives dislodging armed subversive criminal elements, who attempted to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order, in the early hours of July 7.

    He said: “Recall that the Operatives intercepted the criminals at One-Day, Awkunanaw, Enugu, as they were snatching an ENTRACO branded Sharon minivan from its driver at gunpoint.

    “They engaged the operatives in a gun duel, but escaped with varying degrees of fatal gunshot wounds, due to the superior firepower of the police operatives.

    “Hence, a manhunt operation was launched, while a thorough search conducted on the vehicle led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle with magazine loaded with 19 live ammunition of 7.62 calibres, two bottles of petrol bomb and other incriminating exhibits.”

    Ndukwe said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Ammani, had reassured that police and other security agencies would not relent in their efforts to maintain maximum security for the law-abiding citizens, as they go about their lawful businesses.

    “The commissioner, however, solicits residents’ continued support,” he added.