*Assures Muslims, Non-Biafrans In South-East, South South Safety
THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied ever burning a mosque at Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, saying that it was not a violent organisation.
The group further said that it has no quarrel with Muslims in the country or elsewhere and as such had no reason to burn down their place of worship, as alleged by the enemy.
IPOB said these in a statement signed by the IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, in Enugu, on Tuesday.
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.
“IPOB does not need to remind Nigerians that it is the culture in Biafraland to protect our visitors and any of these alleged heinous acts are viewed by the great family of IPOB as abomination which our leadership and members condemn in their entirety.
“IPOB members should be vigilant and stay away from the provocative government- sponsored death squads whose main objective is to draw we Biafrans to another unplanned civil war but God forbid.
“We shall overcome all our enemies and emerge triumphant in the end. It is Biafra or death!”
