The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has declared that there will be no peace talks between them and the Nigerian government, unless their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is unconditionally released.
It said that Nigeria could only avert imminent doom if President Muhammadu Buhari is prevailed upon by civilised nations to obey existing court orders to release Kanu.
The group’s decision was disclosed in a statement signed by its spokesmen and e-mailed to The Trent, Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya on Monday, August 15, 2016.
The group added that the attempt to create disagreement and hatred between Kanu and the leading militant group in the Niger Delta region, the Niger Delta Avengers, has failed.
IPOB also reiterated its partnership with the Niger Delta Avengers, saying that both organs are inseparable in their quest for Biafra restoration.
“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) hereby categorically state that we and our brothers, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), are inseparable in our quest for Biafra restoration,” the statement said.
“Just as NDA stated in their demands, which the Nigerian government is very much aware of, but has chosen to ignore, there will be no negotiation if there is no freedom for the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“Nigeria will avert imminent doom only if Buhari is compelled by civilised nations to obey existing court orders and release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally… South-South and South-East are united in this noble quest for freedom and no amount of media manipulation can alter this fact.
“If only Buhari knows who Nnamdi Kanu truly is or the amount of influence he commands among the people of South-East and South-South, he won’t listen to lies.”
IPOB, which disclosed that its lawyers spoke out of tune in a recent press conference, stressed that they were also aware that a certain South-East governor had been working as front for the Presidency to penetrate and compromise IPOB’s governance structure and its lawyers.
The group alleged that some of the lawyers retained by it are currently undergoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on land case settled years ago so as to unsettle them sufficiently and make them become informants for government.
The group further alleged that the move was to undermine the legal defence of its leader, as was the case with Vincent Obetta.
“We are aware of the grand conspiracy orchestrated by this governor to penetrate IPOB by any means.”
