Kanu’s release will end ‘sponsored criminality’ in South-East —-IPOB

Outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the Nigerian government to release its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as that would signal an end to cases of “sponsored criminality” in the South-East.

The group made the call in a statement on Friday while reacting to a warning by the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, that the Nigerian Army would no longer condone the sit-at-home order by factional IPOB leader, Simon Ekpa.

In the statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB distanced itself from the purported two-week sit-at-home order by Ekpa, who the group say has nothing to do with it.

Read also: IPOB debunks reports of one-week sit-at-home order

“IPOB worldwide condemns the statement credited to the Nigerian Army linking IPOB to the incessant and destructive sit-at-home orders and enforcement in the Southeast,” the statement said.

“The Army Chief, Gen Lagbaja Taoreed, will not claim ignorance of all the previous press releases written by IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu disassociating ourselves from Simon Ekpa and his criminal sit-at-home enforcers.

“The reckless and abusive sit-at-home strategy is from the autopilot group led by Simon Ekpa. We have consistently made it known that Simon Ekpa and his autopilot group are not IPOB members and do not represent Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in their violent enforcement of sit-at-home orders.

“If indeed the Nigeria government and her security agencies are interested in the peace of the Eastern Region, they should release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally, as pronounced by the Appeal Court of Nigeria in Abuja, and see their sponsored criminal agents using Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s detention to perpetrate crime go into oblivion and fade away,” Powerful stated.

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