The Eastern Security Network (ESN), an armed branch of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been linked to criminal activity in the state and other areas of Southeast Nigeria, according to the IPOB, which has criticized CP Echeng Echeng, commissioner of police of Anambra State.
In a statement, IPOB claimed that the Nigerian Police Force frequently coerces offenders into confessing to being part of IPOB or ESN. The statement was released by Emma Powerful, IPOB’s media and publicity secretary.
The separatist organization called the purported police conduct “absurd and unprofessional.”
“We wonder how Nigeria police keep embarrassing themselves by linking the innocent members of IPOB to criminal activities because of their hatred and blackmail agenda against IPOB,” the separatist group, led by the incarcerated Nnamdi Kanu, stated.
“It is absurd that the Nigerian police utilize the media to extort IPOB for crimes they themselves commit. They make their claims without doing any research, which is a sign of cowardice.
“Why aren’t those criminals who the Nigerian Police forced to confess to being members of IPOB or ESN ever presented in court in front of the public?” The professionalism of the Nigeria Police Force is put to the test by this.
“For public information, neither IPOB members nor ESN Operatives indulge in criminality.”
The group insisted that none of the criminals arrested belongs to IPOB, “but the Nigeria Police makes up their own news to blackmail our peaceful movement”.
“It is public knowledge that some of the criminal gangs arrested so far had some serving as police officers or sacked police officers as their members.
“Nigeria Police is fully aware of the innocence of IPOB, but because of an agenda to blackmail, demonize, and get IPOB internationally proscribed, they run to the media and link us with any criminal activities in Biafra Land,” IPOB said.
IPOB said the people behind kidnapping in Anambra and other parts of the Southeast are not its members or ESN operatives.
“The Nigeria Police knew those who were the real criminals,” it said.
It accused the government of hunting its members down “for protecting our lands against the invading Fulani terrorists nicknamed herdsmen”.
“We cannot at the same time be kidnapping and committing crimes against the same Biafrans who we are protecting.
“For Anambra State Police Commissioner, to name IPOB and ESN members as responsible for the kidnapping at Neni even when the criminals have been arrested, shows the evil agenda of the Nigerian Police Force.
“Again, IPOB and ESN are focused on defending our lands from terrorists and on the restoration of Biafra as an independent state, not on terrorising our own people,” it added.
