The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Nigerian Army of blackmailing its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, ahead of the December 15 judgment.
In a statement by the spokesperson of IPOB, Emma Powerful, on Friday, the group stated that Finland-based Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, is not its leader or member.
The group, while reacting to claims by the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, urged the Supreme Court should not succumb to blackmail, adding that Ekpa was sabotaging the efforts of security operatives in the Southeast.
A statement by Powerful reads partly, “The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ably led by the Supreme leader Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu wishes to debunk the fallacious statement credited to the Army Chief of Staff that Simon Ekpa is the leader of IPOB. Nigeria Army Chief is very aware that IPOB has disassociated herself from the criminal activities of Simon Ekpa and his auto bandit gangs. Nigeria Army, DSS, Police and Simon Ekpa are all in collusion to blackmail Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB and ESN have no other leader except our supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU.
“The Nigeria Army’s latest media outburst that Simon Ekpa is an IPOB leader is nothing other than blackmail towards the upcoming judgment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Supreme Court case. Moreover, the linking of Simon Ekpa to IPOB leadership and his recent tweet where he threatened to start violent evacuation of the Nigerian military in the southeast is part of their collective plans to renew violence in the Southeast. Both Nigeria Security Forces and Simon Ekpa have the same objectives.
“The first is to renew violence, killings, and destruction of properties in the Southeast that have been quiet for some time now.
“Secondly, it is to use their renewed violent activities as evidence to bias the minds of the Supreme Court Justices not to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on the 15th of December based on National Security interests. We knew that the Supreme Court Justices were under pressure from the federal government not to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Hence, they are shopping for evidence to persuade the Judges.
“All the shenanigans by the Nigeria Army, DSS, Police and the Nigeria government trying to use Simon Ekpa as a double agent is because of our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU’s case that is coming up on the 15th of December 2023. They are looking for ways to blackmail the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi KANU, before the Supreme Court Judges. The world knew that Simon Ekpa was not a member of IPOB and ESN and was not representing Mazi Nnamdi KANU and IPOB in any way.
“The public should watch how the criminal and double agent in Finland will start violence a few days after Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Supreme Court judgment. This criminal and his sponsors want to blackmail Mazi Nnamdi Kanu so that he will not be released. Remember that recently, the Nigerian Army called him an IPOB leader. They are all working together to blackmail and demonise IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It is now obvious that the Nigerian Army was among the agencies that recruited the criminals ravaging the Southeast Region and Igbo land in particular.
“For the Nigeria Army Chief to descend so low as to refer to Simon Ekpa as IPOB leader before the National Assembly is ridiculous and degrading to the Nigerian government and the Nigerian Army. Do they think Nigerians and the International Community are so daft not to understand who are IPOB members and who are not but just playing scripts?”