IPOB Vows To Take Up Arms as the Search for Buhari Continues in London
A major arms struggle that could further jeopardise Nigeria’s security situation may be in the offing as major separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday declared its resolve to take up arms to forestall extra-judicial killing of its members.
IPOB vowed to invoke the principle of self-defence. The threat followed the alleged killing, maiming and illegal detention of their members during a rally to show solidarity to the US President Donald Trump on Friday, January 20 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The pro-Biafra group stated that 20 of its members were killed in Port Harcourt. But the police had insisted that nobody was killed during the pro- Trump rally.
IPOB warns that the killing of its members last Friday would inevitably lead to an armed conflict unless the perpetrators are brought to book. But the police warn that anybody or group that take up arms in self-defence will be treated as a criminal.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, an acting Commissioner of Police, told New Telegraph last night that the law will take its course if IPOB or any group take up arms in self-defence.
“There is no law in Nigeria that permits an individual or group of individuals to take up arms in self-defence under any guise. The law will take its course against infractions of the law,” Awunah said.
The Nnamdi Kanu-led group said that it would no longer stand and watch its members mowed down by trigger-happy security agents.
The group, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful, said: “This disgraceful episode of statesponsored terrorism will inevitably lead to armed conflict sooner or later unless the culprits are brought to book.
Those that issued the orders from Aso Rock must face trial or IPOB will resort to armed conflict since they have made peaceful change inevitable.
“We are placing humanity in notice that events of 20th of January 2017 will be the last time IPOB will march without self-defence mechanism in place. Nobody should say we did not warn them because we will continue to march until Biafra is restored.”
The group argued that all over the world, there were anti-Trump rallies held without a single loss of life. “Even in Washington DC itself, there were violent protests, but not a single soul was shot, talk less of being killed.
“But the Nigeria Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari and his security agencies, have proven once again how primitive they are by killing groups of people who were doing nothing wrong except partake in solidarity rally for the new American president.
“In January 2009 there was a solidarity rally in support of the then elected President Barack Obama in Nigeria, no killing was recorded.
The world must know that governance in Nigeria has become too crude and uncivilised that acts clearly provided for in the constitution are termed illegal by law enforcement agents to the point that wholesale massacre is warranted and, in this case, justified,” the pro-Biafra group stated…
Meanwhile members of IPOB are continuing with their search for Buhari in all the hospitals in London.
