JUST IN: Nigerian Military declares IPOB “terrorist organisation”

The Nigerian military has declared the pro-Biafra separatist
group, IPOB, a “terrorist organisation.”

The military made the declaration in a statement on Friday by
the Director of Defence Information, John Enenche.

Clashes between soldiers on a military operation and IPOB
members in Abia State have left several people wounded. Although
there have been reports of deaths particularly of IPOB members,
none has been confirmed.

IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu are campaigning for an
independent country of Biafra made up of ethnic Igbos. Although
they had said their campaign was non-violent, Mr. Kanu said this
week that that stance would be reviewed, accusing the military of
attacking unharmed members of his organisation.

TheNigerialawyer recalls how the police in Abia State blamed
IPOB for the burning of a police station in Aba, where a dusk to
dawn curfew has since been imposed.

In his statement, Mr. Enenche, a major general, listed five
reasons the military considered for labelling IPOB a terror
group.

These include “The formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed
formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public
access roads; extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal
road blocks, and militant possession and use of weapons (stones,
molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a
military patrol on 10 September 2017.”

Read the military’s full statement below.

PUBLIC AWARENESS ON THE STATE OF INDEPENDENT PEOPLE OF
BIAFRA

The Nigerian military has declared the pro-Biafra separatist
group, IPOB, a “terrorist organisation.”

The military made the declaration in a statement on Friday by
the Director of Defence Information, John Enenche.

Clashes between soldiers on a military operation and IPOB
members in Abia State have left several people wounded. Although
there have been reports of deaths particularly of IPOB members,
none has been confirmed.

IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu are campaigning for an
independent country of Biafra made up of ethnic Igbos. Although
they had said their campaign was non-violent, Mr. Kanu said this
week that that stance would be reviewed, accusing the military of
attacking unharmed members of his organisation.

TheNigerialawyer recalls how the police in Abia State blamed
IPOB for the burning of a police station in Aba, where a dusk to
dawn curfew has since been imposed.

In his statement, Mr. Enenche, a major general, listed five
reasons the military considered for labelling IPOB a terror
group.

These include “The formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed
formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public
access roads; extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal
road blocks, and militant possession and use of weapons (stones,
molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a
military patrol on 10 September 2017.”

Read the military’s full statement below.

PUBLIC AWARENESS ON THE STATE OF INDEPENDENT PEOPLE OF
BIAFRA