The Indigenous People of Biafra has said that saboteurs and traitors within its ranks were the ones forcing the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), not to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement on Sunday, the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, claimed that these “sabotures” and “traitors” held a meeting with Buhari where they advised the President not to release Kanu.
The statement also claimed that the “enemies of the freedom struggle,” after meeting the President in Aso Rock, misinformed him that IPOB and the Eastern Security Network have been defeated.
The group, therefore, advised the President not be deceived by what it described as “blacklegs and sacked members of the movement” who are feeding him with fake information about IPOB and ESN outfit for pecuniary interests.
It also cautioned the Federal Government on the dangers of its continuous interruption with the judicial processes in its case against Kanu, saying that if the government was sure of its allegations against Kanu, it should not be afraid of allowing the court to flow freely and independently.
It added that Kanu would defeat the Federal Government in any court of law both local and international because they have no case against him, adding that the only thing that can save the country is “referendum date for the people of Biafra because the world is keenly watching.”
The statement read in parts, “Our intelligence captured what transpired in a meeting between these saboteurs and the President in Aso Rock. In the meeting, these traitors concluded with the Presidency that Kanu should not be released, claiming erroneously though, that IPOB and ESN have been defeated which are lies.
“Our attention has also been drawn to the statement by President Buhari that he will not release our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. We know that this new posture by Buhari after he had earlier promised a delegation of Igbo leaders that he would look at their appeal to consider a political solution for Kanu, was not unconnected with the visit by some foreign-based traitors and enemies of our struggle.
“But we want to tell Buhari that he is going to make a mistake capable of consuming Nigeria should he fail to release Kanu because these bunch of crimials he had meeting with were not giving him correct information about IPOB and ESN outfit.
“Why should the Federal Government be releasing bandits and terrorists wrecking havock across the country but fail to release freedom seekers? If they have case against him let them come straight to the court and stop coming from the backdoor.”
The group said if the Federal Government remains neutral and allow the judicial processes to flow freely, Kanu was capable of defending himself in the court.
“Kanu and IPOB will defeat them both at the local and international courts, the only thing that can save Nigeria is referendum date for the people of Biafra because the world is keenly watching.
“IPOB is too big for them to comprehend and they could not phantom IPOB and its operational strategy when they were in IPOB. The people who visited the President promised to help him crush IPOB and ESN, but unfortunately they cannot achieve that, actually they will be disappointed.
“We are a well recognised freedom fighting movement in the world and we will shock everyone in the country if we exhaust our patience because we listened to the elders and religious leaders and decided to pipe low. Buhari and those traitors who visited him towards the end of December 2021 to feed him with lies about IPOB should be held responsible.
“Nobody can defeat ESN and IPOB. We will fight for the struggle for freedom of Biafra till the last man. Biafra restoration is a divine mandate and nobody can scuttle it,” the statement added.