“They can say whatever they like, it’s not our business because we knew that ESN is not unknown gun men. Anybody can say or do whatever they like it is none of our business and we were looking at what people say we wound not have reached where we are today. It is not ESN or anything related to it.” – stated the spokesperson of the Biafra agitation group, the Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra [IPOB], Comrade Emma Powerful while responding to our correspondent on the unspoken allegation on the streets of the South East that the IPOB is responsible for the killings of federal security officers.
It is recalled that shortly following the end of ENDSARS protests, a slow but steady incidents of killings began to take place in the communities of the South East – including hazing down of police stations. The killings continued and instead of stopping, have increased, and have become more daring.
The Nigeria law enforcement officers had had a bloody relationship with the members of IPOB following it formation and before its proscription by the South East Governors. The Nigeria police and the military had had a field day killing the IPOB protesters who were then protesting for the freedom and/or release of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The protest was a peaceful protest. Many more members of IPOB were slaughtered while holding prayer vigil at a church in Anambra State. Hundreds were killed at the head bridge at Onitsha. In Abia, hundreds were killed. The same was case in Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.
With each incident, the leader of IPOB is known to state that the members of IPOB – though peaceful and nonviolent – will no longer sit idly and watch the federal officers kill their members needlessly.
As the killings began, many within the communities of the South East attribute it to being revenge killings. This is as the IPOB as not claimed responsibility for the killings. Rather, they have denied involvement.
Other groups have pointed to the bandits as possibly responsible for the killings.
