‘Leave us ourselves’, Ipob reacts to the arrest of alleged criminals and gently de Yahoo

The IGBO separatist group that is prohibited, the native of Biafra (IPOB), has distanced himself from the arrest of a group commander and armed militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), such as Ifey Eze Okorienta, known as Gentle de Yahoo, who was captured by the Army on Tuesday.

The Biafra agitator, in a statement on Wednesday, also warned the Nigerian security institution against repeatedly connecting it with the increasing wave of insecurity in the country, especially in the southeast, accusing them of using parts of the media to spread what he described as Lies and Satan Propaganda.

Gentle de Yahoo was captured by troops from 34 artillery brigades in the joint operation with the Sister Security Agency at his hiding place in Aku-Ihube, the Okigwe Regional Government in the IMO state and while the security agent had linked it to Ipob, the group said in the statement that the suspect was not one of its members painted.

In a statement issued by the Director of the IPOB media and publicity, Camelarad Emma Powerful, the group asked the Nigerian security institution including the State Service Department (DSS), the Nigerian Army, and the police, to stop connecting it with violence in the region because its members were not kidnappers or criminals.

“This has become the cheapest trick in Nigeria: Every time DSS, Army, or Bungle Police in their duties, they quickly make the main header, ‘IPOB/ESN Commander was arrested,” said Powerful.

“Today is kidnapping, tomorrow will be an armed robbery, and next week they will blame Ipob for flooding, for accidents on the road, or even because of their inability to impregnate their wives.

“We are not kidnappers. We are not criminals. We are not terrorists. One of our ‘crimes’ is not to slavery, not on colonial injustice, not on the continuous slavery of our people,” said Ipob.

The group also rejected a report by the Nigerian Army that the IPOB/ESN commander who was allegedly identified as Gentle de Yahoo was a student of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, insisted that the suspect himself had openly denied being a member of IPOB.

The group also warned the media not to join the authorities to label terrorist groups.

“When you join the IPOB coloring with the fabrication label, you not only hurt IPOB, you participate in the destruction of the truth itself. And God Almighty will not forgive you,” the group warned.