Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has described the Global Terrorism Index ranking of IPOB as the world’s 10th deadliest terrorist group as a conspiracy between the Nigerian government, its security agencies and foreign institutions.
Ejiofor stated, “There is no gainsaying the fact, that it would be out of place if the well-orchestrated, high-powered conspiracy between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), its security agencies and the foreign institution involved, at arriving at a stereotyped scripted outcome in their desperate effort to blackmail and demonize IPOB; is not rebutted/clarified.”
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has been effortlessly pushing this obviously mischievous and malicious narrative, and relentlessly attributing all violent crimes and criminal activities being perpetrated in the South-East, as an IPOB contrive.”
“Verifiable evidence abounds, which conclusively exonerates IPOB from these heinous crimes, however, pointing at IPOB as those perpetrating these atrocious acts in the South-East is a well-scripted conspiratorial agenda in the grand scheme that was set out to be accomplished by the Establishment.
“IPOB as a non-violent group, had several times in the past, publicly disassociated themselves from the heinous activities of these marauders, who are desecrating our land.”
“From this plethora of publications, all in the public domain, the leadership of IPOB usually undertakes to participate in fishing out/flushing out these soulless beings from our land.
“What is most surprising, and beyond comprehension, is the fact that at any slightest violent or criminal occurrence/attack in the South-East, and its environs, the Nigerian Security Agencies will immediately call out the IPOB as those responsible for the heinous crimes, without any attempt at investigating the actual state/ non-state actors involved in the alleged crimes.”
“Unarguably, the essence of the FGN pushing this false narrative to the international arena is to twist, and consequently bias their perception of the IPOB, to erroneously accept the dummy being sold to them that IPOB is responsible for the criminal activities, killings and kidnappings going on in the South-East of Nigeria,”
He added, “We wish to again, categorically reiterate, that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is a non-violent group, registered and recognised in several countries across the world; specifically made up of citizens who are constitutionally exercising their globally recognised right to self-determination as extantly enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, African Charter on Human and Peoples Right (Enforcement and Ratification) Act Cap A10 LFN 2004, and other international instruments, treaties and charters; and which group has no connection/link whatsoever with the criminal activities in the South-East being perpetrated on our hitherto peaceful land, by some criminal and violent dissidents, who falsely hide under the guise of the Biafra struggle, to perpetuate their atrocious and heinous acts.
“Nevertheless, we shall challenge this misguided and misinformed ranking by the Institute for Economics and Peace, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, before the appropriate fora.
“We are therefore appealing to all concerned institutions to be properly guided, cross-check their criteria, facts and indices, before rushing to public space to defame, and demonize an innocuous /non-violent organization legitimately exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to self-determination.”