The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has directed his supporters to maintain the peace and stay out of all forms of criminal activities.
In a directive issued via his lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the IPOB leader said he has never condoned crime and dissident activities in any guise and has never instructed anybody to engage in or encourage such behaviors.
He maintained that IPOB is a movement founded on peace, in line with the universally recognized rights of indigenous people to self-determination, as clearly
stipulated in the extant laws.
Nnamdi Kanu with his legal team
Kanu stressed that he has since made his stance public, as clearly contained in a viral short clip, recorded during one of his appearances in Court urging the public to classify those making lives miserable for the people of the Southeast as enemies of the people who have no place in IPOB's peaceful movement for self-determination and, therefore should be immediately fished out and dealt with accordingly.
The statement which was released by his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, after his routine visit to the detained IPOB leader at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS), Abuja on Thursday read in part, “Furthermore, Onyendu directed me to issue the foregoing statements:
1. "That this critical time calls for the greatest circumspect among his followers because the enemies are relentlessly exploiting the vulnerable, to sustain their status quo, and further blackmail the IPOB, ably led by Nnamdi Kanu, which is a peaceful self-determination movement.
2. "He has a hard stance in the condemnation of crimes and dissidents and reiterated that he has never condoned nor supported criminality of any form. Hence, the criminal elements who are involved in making lives unbearable to our people should be immediately fished out and dealt with as such. They have no place in IPOB’s peaceful self-determination movement.
3. "That the general public and indeed his people should be notified in unmistaken terms that nobody is receiving any instruction from him to encourage dissidents’ behaviors and accordingly, disassociates himself from any person(s) who is mischievously feeding the public with such blatant falsehood.
"Kanu stressed that he has since made his stance public, which position is contained in a viral short clip, recorded during one of his appearances in Court.”
The IPOB leader demanded complete calmness in the Southeast region which has experienced various forms of unrest and turmoil in recent times.
IPOB Crowd
4. "Kanu reiterated his call for total calmness in the entire South-East region and particularly queried the mental state of those who are relentlessly waging war against his people, the very people he had sworn to protect and make life better for.
5. "Kanu’s movement was founded on a peaceful bedrock, in consonance with the universally recognized rights of indigenous people to self-determination, as clearly encapsulated under the extant laws.
6." That the activities of the dissidents/marauders who engage in criminal activities have further emboldened the Nigerian security agents, to unleash terror on innocent people of the South-East region,” the statement said.
Kanu also noted that his traducers including the Federal Government are most likely not pleased with the various court rulings in his favor and urged his supporters to avoid activities that could implicate or blackmail him.
7. "In conclusion, Kanu reminds UmuChineke to note that the successive landmark victories he recently recorded in various Courts of competent jurisdictions against the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), may not have gone down well with his traducers, including the FGN.
"Hence, he insists that all hands must be on deck to enable saner minds to identify the real enemies in our midst, and those being used by the establishment to try to implicate and/or blackmail him. ”
About the matter, at the Supreme Court the statement said, “From every indication, it is very likely that a date will soon be assigned at the Supreme Court of Nigeria for the hearing of Kanu’s Appeal against the Order staying the execution of his judgment. We will not hesitate to inform UmuChineke, through the approved channel once a date is given.”
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