IPOB dares Nigerian army: No ESN camps exist in Delta state

DDM News

(DDM) – The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has publicly challenged the Nigerian Army to prove its recent claims about arresting members of its Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Delta State.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that IPOB issued the rebuttal in a strongly worded statement on Monday, August 4, through its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful.

The Nigerian Army had earlier announced the arrest of 13 individuals allegedly linked to IPOB and ESN during a raid in the South-South region.

The military said the suspects were involved in terrorism-related activities and had been captured from hideouts reportedly used by IPOB operatives.

However, IPOB has dismissed the Army’s statement as “propaganda warfare” and accused the military of inventing fictitious camps in the region.

The separatist group categorically denied operating any hideouts or training camps in Delta State or anywhere in Biafra land.

“Let us state unequivocally and for the record: IPOB has no hideouts, camps, or terror cells in the bushes of Delta State,” Emma Powerful declared.

He emphasized that IPOB is a peaceful movement comprising educated, city-dwelling, and community-building indigenous people.

“We are not criminals living in the jungle,” the statement added.

IPOB then issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian military, demanding that the 13 arrested individuals be charged to court within seven days.

Failure to do so, the group warned, would lead to a legal battle compelling the military commander to defend his actions under oath in court.

The group also called on the Army to present verifiable evidence before a competent court rather than through “compromised journalists or secret torture facilities.”

IPOB said the military’s operations were clearly biased and politically motivated, especially given the unchecked activities of northern terror groups.

The group accused the Nigerian Army of double standards, pointing out that armed groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani bandits continue to wreak havoc across the North and Middle Belt.

“Yet the Army is busy raiding imaginary IPOB camps in the South,” the group noted.

“How laughable. How pathetic,” the statement concluded.

IPOB is a controversial pro-Biafra group advocating for the independence of southeastern Nigeria, a region that attempted to secede in the late 1960s.

The secession bid led to a brutal civil war, resulting in the deaths of over one million people, mostly Igbos.

Led by Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in detention, IPOB has continued to campaign for the sovereignty of Biafra.

In recent years, the group has faced proscription and has been labeled a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government.

However, IPOB maintains that it is a peaceful, non-violent movement seeking self-determination through legal and political channels.

In its latest statement, IPOB stressed that it has no links to criminality, terrorism, or violent extremism of any kind.

“We do not bomb trains. We do not kidnap schoolchildren. We do not decapitate soldiers,” the group declared.

It warned Nigerian security agencies and intelligence officials to stop targeting IPOB with what it called “Janjaweed tactics.”

IPOB accused the government of scapegoating its members while ignoring Nigeria’s deeper socioeconomic problems.

“The Nigerian state should focus on their collapsing economy, unpaid salaries, security implosion, and global shame,” the statement continued.

“Stop chasing shadows in Biafra land.”

As tensions escalate between the pro-Biafra group and federal forces, the spotlight returns once more to the controversial military operations in Nigeria’s southern states.

IPOB’s ultimatum has sparked legal and political interest, with rights groups likely to monitor the Army’s next move.

Whether the military will respond with court action or continue its silence remains to be seen.

For now, IPOB insists that it will not retreat from exposing what it describes as injustices against its members and Biafran communities.

More updates will follow as this standoff unfolds.

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