The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the army of spreading “fake news” and intimidating judges overseeing the case of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement released on Monday by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the pro-Biafra group dismissed recent claims by the Nigerian Army about the arrest of IPOB’s founding father, describing it as “a lie from the pit of hell.”
The statement, titled “Nigerian Army should stop intimidating and misleading the judges with fake news about IPOB,” alleged that the army frequently disseminates misinformation whenever court proceedings concerning Kanu reach a critical point.
IPOB argues that these actions are intended to influence judicial perspectives and misrepresent the group’s activities.
Emma Powerful urged the Army to cease what he described as dishonourable tactics, accusing the military of damaging its own credibility.
IPOB queried, “Are the people handling Nigerian Army media telling us they are not aware that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was the founder and leader of IPoB before they invaded his house to kill him in his Umuahia home on October 14, 2017?
“Is the Nigerian Army ignorant of the leading count in the unlawful charges levelled against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to the effect that he is the founder and leader of IPOB?
“How come the new founder of IPOB has emerged from the Nigerian Army after the arrest of criminals they have been parading as IPOB? The Nigerian Army should stop giving the impression that it has no class, no honour and no dignity.”
IPoB’s statement read further: “We, the great and noble family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, led by our indomitable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to bring the latest pathetic attempt by Nigerian Army in a long line of previous wretched attempts to influence the justices in the upcoming case of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“The illegal proscription of IPOB will surely fail as all previous attempts did. Not content with using gullible media houses under their payroll to demonize IPOB, the Nigerian Army has now gone one step further in the voyage of ridiculousness by stating that they arrested the “founding father of IPOB” whom IPOB did not know.
“The question any sensible person should ask is where on earth is the founding mother of IPOB now the Nigerian Army has claimed they have arrested the founding father of IPOB?
“What sort of officer and gentleman will agree to be trotted out in front of cameras and microphones to make a mockery of the image of the Nigerian Army? That shows, No class, no honour, no dignity.”
“The history of how IPoB was founded is a matter of public knowledge that predates these childish antics by the media department of the Nigerian Army. Are the people handling the Nigerian Army telling us they are not aware that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was the founder and leader of IPOB before they invaded his house to kill him on October 14, 2017? Is the army ignorant of the leading count in the unlawful charges levelled against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the effect that he is the founder and leader of IPOB?
“Anytime there is a court case involving Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or IPOB, these same shameless characters from the Nigerian Amy will conduct their sham press conference to pressure the Justices scheduled to hear the matter to either adjourn the case or deliver biased judgment against Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu and IPOB.
“This nonsense has to stop and the public is hereby urged to disregard such blatant and shameless propaganda. Next time they should tell us who the founding mother of IPOB is.”
