IPOB slams Yoruba leader, Prof Akintoye, for allegedly insulting Kanu, Biafra struggle

Proscribed Igbo secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has come hard on prominent Yoruba elder, statesman and leader of the Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, calling him an enemy of the Biafran Republic over disparaging comments he allegedly made against its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

According to IPOB, Prof. Akintoye, whose group is also at the forefront of championing self-determination for the Yoruba Nation, had, in an interview with the BBC, reportedly labelled Kanu as a noisemaker while applauding Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho.

However, while reacting to the comments allegedly made by Akintoye, IPOB, in a statement on Tuesday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, accused Akintoye of having a “deep hatred” for Biafra and working with enemies of the struggle against Kanu.

Part of the statement made available to Ripples Nigeria reads:

“We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the command and leadership of the great liberator and prophet, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU condemn the unguided statement from Prof. Akintoye during his BBC interview where he ignorantly referred to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a noise maker while praising Sunday Igboho.

“It’s unfortunate that this old man, whom our leader and IPOB hold in high esteem, will stoop so low to speak like a Nigeria-paid agent. Prof Akintoye should understand that KANU is the only man that put fear in the Fulanized government of Nigeria.

Read also:IPOB rules out disruption of political rallies in South East

“For him to refer to our leader as a noisemaker shows the level of hatred he has for our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. If Prof. Akintoye’s boy, Sunday Igboho, and Yoruba agitators are making noise, Nnamdi KANU and IPOB are not. We are in serious business in our quest for the restoration of Biafra.

“The old Professor with Nigeria divide and rule mentally has been working with enemies of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to discredit IPOB’s movement.

“Paid agent, Akintoye worked with Tony Nnadi on their irrelevant Lower Niger Republic or Congress project or whatever name they called it and woefully failed.

“Today, he has started working with Simon Ekperima and boosting his ego to frustrate IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They don’t understand that we are resolute and have dismantled all past enemies and obstacles that have stood in our way. We will overcome and dismantle them too, shortly.

“It is all a part of the Fulanized Nigeria government’s plans to find people who will make noise about Biafra while their target is to harm our leader, Mazi Nnamdi KANU.

“None of them is looking for freedom but want to hoodwink the public while planning on how to harm IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU. We assure them and their sponsors that they will fail again and again.

“IPOB freedom movement led by Kanu is a freedom struggle for all the oppressed people in Nigeria but we will not tolerate any form of sabotage from those same people.

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