WHY MUSLIMS, NON-BIAFRANS IN THE S’EAST HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR – IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied burning a mosque at Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The group made the denial in a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful in Enugu, Tuesday.

• The secessionist group has been accused of burning a mosque in Abia State, after the clash with soldiers deployed to the South-East.
• A mosque in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State was also said to have been razed by irate IPOB supporters.

IPOB’s denial:

• The group denied any such attack, stating that the Nigerian Army was doing everything possible to paint it in bad light.
• IPOB stated that no amount of violence used against it would warrant an attack.
• It blamed the attack on criminals gangs assembled by South East governors and Federal government sponsored gangs.
• Muslims and non-Biafrans are welcomed in the South-East and have nothing to fear.

The statement read, “The attention of we the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) family worldwide and her leadership, under the command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the burning of a mosque in Igbo Eze North LGA of Enugu State. We also saw a picture purporting the burning of the mosque and the caption blaming it on IPOB members.

“IPOB leadership would like to use this opportunity to disassociate the hallowed name of IPOB and its members from the alleged arson and any other concocted news of an attack or vandalism, especially on Muslims and their places of worship.

“IPOB is not unaware of the desperation of the Nigerian Army of occupation to cause mayhem and blame it on IPOB as a way of instigating counter violence against Southerners in the North.

“The aim of this army of occupation led by exclusively Hausa Fulani officers is to distract our focus and firm resolve to force a peaceful referendum within the law. No amount of violence visited on our family members will dissuade us from this historic and legitimate course.

“Biafrans in particular and Nigerians in general should therefore blame any of such attacks on criminals gangs assembled by South East governors and Federal government sponsored gangs who are baying for blood and whose aim is to cause misunderstanding between law abiding Biafrans and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

“We wish to further state unequivocally that Muslims and other non-Biafrans living in South-East and South South have nothing to fear from IPOB, as our members are committed to a nonviolent, unarmed struggle for self determination, which is guaranteed in charters of the United Nations, international laws and other extant laws on fundamental human rights.”