The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, ‘orchestrated’ the killing of 60 persons and the destruction of property in 55 violent attacks across the South-east and South-south zones within four months.
The Federal Government stated this in a letter to western diplomats.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the letter dated April 26, 2021 detailed the atrocities committed by members of IPOB on the alleged instruction of Mr Kanu who was then in exile.
NAN also reports that one of the attachments to the letter listed the attacks on lives and property by IPOB in some parts of the country between January and April 2021.
With several Kanu’s broadcasts from Europe, there were concerns in official quarters that some western countries were justifying IPOB’s violent acts under the guise of the group’s pursuit of self-determination.
According to the “demarche” from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to some western countries, the Federal Government objected to a statement by “an agency of a western nation whose government had noted and admitted that the creation of Eastern Security Network (ESN), based on its own understanding, was to combat insecurity”.
The Federal Government, in its letter, however considered the statement (by the western nation) as ”justifying the establishment of a militia by a non-state actor and glossing over the destructive and violent acts of IPOB and the ESN.”
”In under four months this year, IPOB has carried out over fifty-five (55) violent acts in various parts of Southeast Nigeria killing scores of people and destroying many properties.”
“Indeed it would seem that the position of the (western nation) seems to have further emboldened Nnamdi Kanu the self-confessed leader of IPOB.
