The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the recent killings in Mbano, Imo State, accusing elements within Nigeria’s security agencies of orchestrating the violence to malign the group and sabotage its campaign for the release of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB described the incident as a “barbaric act of terror” and categorically denied any involvement in the massacre that reportedly left several civilians dead and many others injured.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Thursday, with eyewitnesses claiming that gunmen stormed parts of Mbano and opened fire indiscriminately. While early police assessments pointed to suspected IPOB or Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives, the group dismissed those claims as “baseless” and “part of a tired, manufactured narrative.”
“These orchestrated killings are cynically weaponised to discredit IPOB and manufacture consent for continued illegal persecution,” the statement read. “Each time the legal arguments for the release of our leader gain traction, the Nigerian state resorts to violence and bloodshed in the South-East.”
IPOB further alleged that Nigeria’s security forces, along with complicit regional political actors, are behind a pattern of false-flag operations intended to stir unrest and blame the separatist group.
“The real criminals are those who profit from bloodshed, who fear justice, and who believe power can only be maintained through lies, bullets, and blackmail,” IPOB said. “Let it be known to the world: IPOB is not responsible for the killings in Mbano or anywhere else.”
The group also accused unnamed “fifth columnists” embedded within the security establishment of masterminding attacks on civilians and blaming IPOB to justify further crackdowns. It criticised the governors of the South-East for what it called betrayal of their people in exchange for political favour.
“To the governors of the South-East and their Abuja handlers, we ask: how long will you mortgage the blood of your people for a seat at the table of oppression?” the statement queried.
Reaffirming its commitment to non-violent agitation, IPOB challenged the Nigerian Police to provide concrete evidence linking the group to the Mbano attack, rather than issuing public accusations without substantiation.
“If you have evidence, show it. Otherwise, stop this trial by press release,” it said.
With tensions escalating across Imo and neighbouring communities, IPOB warned that continued bloodshed in the region would not be forgotten, pledging that justice for the victims would prevail in due time.
“The slaughter of the innocent in Igboland will never be forgotten,” the group declared.
