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IPOB disowns trending video of children parading as ESN operatives

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IPOB disowns trending video of children parading as ESN operatives

The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has disowned a trending video showing children as young as nine years old, during a parade of its military wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), describing the video as fake and aimed at tarnishing the image of the group.

The viral video which made the rounds on social media during the week, according to a statement by IPOB on Friday, was “fabricated, laughable and misleading, aimed at implicating it and ESN operatives.”

The statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, and made available to Ripples Nigeria, entitled ‘Viral Video and Picture Showing a Child as ESN Operative is Fake’, chided those behind its circulation to desist henceforth or they would incur the wrath of the Igbo separatist group.

Powerful added that the people behind the fake video wanted to sell false propaganda that ESN was indulging in child abuse, by using children to facilitate their job.

Read also: IPOB vows to deal with illegal enforcers of sit-at-home in South-East

“The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the command and leadership of our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the fabricated, laughable, and misleading trending video to implicate IPOB and Eastern Security Network, ESN, operatives.

“Those behind the fake video want to sell false propaganda that ESN is indulging in child abuse by using children to facilitate their job. We, therefore, wish to debunk the falsehood for what it is.

“It’s a poor propaganda job meant specifically to tarnish the image and reputation of IPOB and ESN. Come to think of it, Biafran youths are falling over themselves to be part of this elite defence outfit, how then is it possible that ESN will leave able-bodied youths ready and willing to be part of it and settle for a children?

“ESN does not, has never, and will never use children for whatever reason. Right from inception, ESN has never violated this rule. We have no intention, at any time, to use children for any reason, because we will never have any need for it.

“As a matter of fact, IPOB’s draft constitution makes it a crime for parents to neglect to enrol their children/wards into schools and using them for child labour.

“IPOB hereby warns those behind the fake video and other forms of propaganda to discredit the movement to desist forthwith or they will be dealt with decisively,” the statement reads.

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