The Indigenous People of Biafra said its intelligence unit, the M-Branch, has discovered plans by some miscreants in the South-East to invade banks in Abia State and some parts of the region.
The pro-Biafran group said the criminal elements claiming to be Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s disciples were planning the attacks on banks and then blame it on the IPOB and the Eastern Security Network operatives.
In a statement on Saturday, the IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, urged the public to be alert, adding that IPOB was not part of such plan, and did not encourage or indulge in criminality.
The group advised the people of the South-East to desist from supporting or joining any attack on any bank in the region.
The statement read, “We are putting the public on notice that IPOB was not part of this plan, and we don’t encourage or indulge in criminalities. In the event of attack on any bank in the South-East, people should hold Autopiloters, who have branded themselves as Kanu’s disciples, responsible because they have committed other crimes.
“That notwithstanding, we are going to checkmate them because they have decided to blackmail IPOB and ESN operatives with their criminal plans. We cannot afford to be part of activities that will increase the pain and suffering of our people who we are fighting for their freedom.”
Protest against Ekpa
Meanwhile, the PAN Nigeria Group has met with the Ambassador to Finland, Leena Pylvanainen, as well as the country’s Deputy Head of Mission, Johanna Antila, in protest against the activities of the leader of the “Autopilot” arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa.
Members of the PAN Group, who met the Finland officials, included the leader of the delegation, Chief Simon Okeke, Elder Ken Emechebe, Ambassador Humphrey Orjiakor, Ferdinand Agu, Prof. Charles Nwokeaku and Tagbo Okeke.
According to a communique issued on the outcome of the meeting of which was obtained by our correspondent on Saturday, it was indicated that the group met with the Finland officials on February 16.
The highpoint of the meeting was after each member of the group had been called to speak, the leader of the delegation presented an official letter of protest from members of The PAN Nigeria group.
The signatories of the letter are Chief Simon Okeke on behalf of Ambassador Okey Emuchay(Ohanaeze), Chief Edwin Clarke(PANDEF), Prof. Ango Abdulahi(Northern Elders Forum), Dr Emeka Ezeife (Igbo Elders Forum), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (Afenifere), Dr Bitrus Pogu(Middle Belt Forum) and Anthony Sani(NEF).
Okeke said their mission was essentially to express concern over Simon Ekpa, a dual national of Finland and Nigeria, but residing in Finland, but had been for a long time sponsoring a series of terrorism and hate-motivated campaigns against the people of the South-East of Nigeria.
Okeke said, “The Finland Ambassador, Pylvanainen, on her part, thanked the delegation for coming and while accepting that Ekpa has fundamental human rights that have to be upheld, she accepted that there is a limit to those rights and that the government of Finland is doing ‘certain things’ about this matter.
“Pylvanainen noted that she cannot mention those things publicly yet as they remain classified information.”
Credit: Punch