IPoB Accuses Abia Police Commissioner of Intimidation Against Igbo, Warns Against Provoking Ethnic Tensions

 

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) has strongly condemned the alleged intimidation of Igbo citizens in Abia State by the state’s Police Commissioner. According to the pro-Biafra group, the police chief is accused of undermining the rights of the local Igbo population, while allegedly favoring the Fulani herdsmen responsible for violent attacks in the region. IPoB further warned that such actions could ignite ethnic tensions between the Igbo community and their visitors.

In a statement titled "IPoB warns Abia Police Commissioner to stop the intimidation, Ndigbo must defend themselves against Fulani attackers," the group highlighted a troubling incident involving the police commissioner’s actions towards the Nkpa community in Isikwuato Local Government Area. IPoB alleges that the Abia Police Commissioner summoned several prominent leaders from Nkpa under the pretext of questioning them about the murder of a Fulani herdsman, an accusation the group claims is entirely false.

According to IPoB, the police summoned the community leaders after Fulani herdsmen, accused of violent crimes including rapes and kidnappings, falsely claimed that a member of their group had been killed in Nkpa. IPoB believes this fabricated story is a deliberate strategy to provoke a confrontation, intending to make the Igbo community appear as aggressors in the eyes of the Nigerian police.

"The IPOB intelligence unit has confirmed that the Abia Police Commissioner, along with a group of his officers, invited Nkpa community leaders for questioning over a fictitious murder," the group said in the statement. "This is part of an orchestrated attempt to intimidate the Nkpa people for standing up against the violent and criminal activities of the Fulani herdsmen."

The statement also raised concerns that these false accusations could pave the way for a violent crackdown on the community by Fulani militants, under the guise of seeking retribution. IPoB warned that the Abia Police Commissioner’s actions were fostering animosity between the local Igbo population and Fulani herders, ultimately placing the community in a vulnerable position.

The individuals allegedly interrogated by the police include Mazi Ernest Lekweke, Youth Leader; Bishop elect Ugoo Nwosu, the President-General of Nkpa; the Woman Leader; and Mazi Okechukwu Felix Okoro, the community Vigilante commander. IPoB claims that these leaders were subjected to lengthy questioning, with police reportedly pressuring them to admit to the fabricated accusation.

IPoB further criticized the Nigerian police for failing to interrogate Fulani leaders despite numerous violent attacks by Fulani herdsmen across Igbo land. The group posed the question, “How many times have the Nigerian police invited Fulani leaders for questioning over their involvement in countless acts of terrorism?”

In its statement, IPoB issued a stark warning to the Abia Police Commissioner: “We want to remind the Commissioner that Ndigbo have every right to defend themselves against these rampaging terrorists. If anything happens to the people interrogated or the Nkpa community, the Commissioner will be held accountable.”

The group emphasized that self-defense is an inherent right for all citizens, citing the continued violence and terror posed by the Fulani herdsmen. They also linked the growing concerns over the rise in violence to a broader political agenda, claiming that the Muslim-Muslim presidency under President Muhammadu Buhari represents a veiled attempt to further the Fulanization of Nigeria, contributing to the unchecked violence and insecurity plaguing indigenous communities.

“The terrorist ethnic group masquerading as herdsmen is not only a direct threat to Igbo communities but has also been linked to the highest levels of violence in sub-Saharan Africa,” the statement read. “Despite this, the Nigerian government has yet to take any substantive action to address their criminal activities.”

IPoB also condemned a recent Supreme Court ruling, which upheld a death sentence against a Nigerian man named Sunday Jackson for defending himself against a Fulani herdsman ten years ago. The group described the ruling as part of a systemic attempt to suppress self-defense against Fulani aggression.

In response to these ongoing attacks, IPoB reiterated its commitment to defending Biafra land. “The Eastern Security Network (ESN) will not wait for permission from community leaders to take action against terrorists,” IPoB declared. "Our forces are deployed across Biafra land, ensuring that no Fulani herdsman or terrorist is allowed to attack our people with impunity."

The group urged the people of Biafra to prepare for self-defense, asserting that they cannot allow their people to be vulnerable to attack without resistance. “Biafra land is not Yobe State, where the Nigerian government and security forces have turned a blind eye to the suffering of indigenous people. The ESN will move into Nkpa and its surrounding areas to safeguard our people and prevent any further incursions by terrorists," IPoB added.

In conclusion, IPoB warned the Abia Police Commissioner to desist from any further actions that could undermine the security and safety of the Igbo community. The group reaffirmed that Biafra land will never succumb to what they called the "radical Islamic conquest" and that they will continue to fight for their people’s right to self-defense.