Since October last year when its leader Nnamdi Kanu was arrested upon arriving in the country from the UK, Ipob has been campaigning for the rebirth of the breakaway republic of Biafra. It has held several demonstrations across Igboland in conjunction with the Movement for the Actualisation for the Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob) and it now believed the two bodies engage in kidnapping and extra-judicial killings.
Yesterday, the DSS discovered the 55 graves in Abia State and accused Ipob members of kidnapping and killing of five Hausa-Fulani men whose remains it said were buried in the same forest. However, Massob rose in defence of Ipob, dismissed the allegations by the DSS as lacking merit and evidence.
DSS spokesperson Tony Opuiyo, said: “Service has uncovered the heinous role played by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra in the abduction/kidnap of five Hausa-Fulani residents, namely Mohammed Gainako, Ibrahim Mohammed, Idris Yakubu, and Isa Mohammed Rago at Isuikwuato Local Government Aresa in Abia State. The abducted men were later discovered at the Umuanyi Forest, Abia State, where they were suspected to have been killed by their abductors and buried in shallow graves, amidst 50 other shallow graves of unidentified persons.
“Arrests and investigation conducted so far revealed that elements within the Ipob carried out this dastardly action. It is pertinent to alert the general public that Ipob was gradually showing its true divisive colour and objectives, while steadily embarking on gruesome actions in a bid to ignite ethnic terrorism and mistrust amongst non-indigenes in the southeast region and other parts of the country."
Following this act, the DSS alerted that tension was currently rife among communal stakeholders in the state, with possibilities of spillover to other parts of country. In addition, the agency warned that it would not hesitate to act decisively within its statutory mandate to ensure that the sponsors and perpetrators of this action are apprehended and prosecuted for their crime.
New Massob leader Uchenna Madu, said: “DSS allegations against pro-Biafra agitators lacks merit and evidence because Massob and Ipob are non-violent organisations. This is the highest frustration exhibited by Nigerian security agents against pro-Biafra agitators as they want to blackmail us as violent or terrorist group in order to get evidence against Nnamdi Kanu.
“Massob and Ipob can never be deterred or get jittery because of frivolous and baseless allegations by frustrated DSS. Why have they not raised eyebrow on several killings and destruction of properties by Fulani herdsmen?"
DSS officials have now sealed off the forest. According to one security operative a Good Samaritan blew the lid on the killings that happened there and how people were hurriedly buried in the forest.
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