The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has described as false the comments credited to the Director of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Mohammed Babagana Monguno, that security agents dislodged the Eastern Security Network, ESN camps, and arrested some of its Commanders.
IPOB said the claim is a desperate attempt by the National Security adviser to blackmail its members and challenged Monguno to name and produce video evidence of the arrested commanders and the destroyed ESN camps.
A statement by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful read in part: “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great prophet and indefatigable liberator, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu has been drawn to the shameful, disgraceful, and fallacious statement credited to the infamous terrorist sponsor and Director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Retired General Mohammed Babagana Monguno to the effect that they dislodged ESN Camps and arrested some of its Commanders.
"This NIA Boss is the main culprit behind the numerous attacks, kidnapping, and banditry in Nigeria since he assumed office in 2015.
“Monguno was among those who were colluding with Boko Haram to ravage his state of Borno.”
"The NIA Director claimed that they attacked ESN camps and arrested some Commanders. We challenge them to mention the camps they dislodged and produce video evidence of the Commanders they claimed to have arrested.
"Monguno and his co-travelers should stop their public dance of shame, deception, and lies against IPOB because it will not bring any positive result to you and your co-conspirators rather it shall destroy you and your criminal Agency.
“IPOB and ESN are too sophisticated for you to understand let alone have the opportunity to penetrate ESN camps. We are intelligent freedom fighters, not Fulani terrorist Herdsmen or Boko Haram which you set up and use to achieve your twin agenda of making money and pursuing Islamization of the Southern and Middle Belt region of Nigeria.
"You must know that you are addressing intelligent people in the world and particularly Biafrans. Monguno, you and NIA can’t locate the Camps of ESN Operatives.”
"ESN has not lost any commander except Commander Ikonso whom his people sold out to Hope Uzodinma and APC Government in Imo State.
The statement further called on Monguno to locate and destroy Boko Haram and Fulani terrorist Herdsmen camps in Borno, Yobe, and Gombe states, adding, " Stop parading criminals you arrested and claiming that they are ESN Operatives. ESN Operatives are not criminals but disciplined men and women who understood the existential threat facing their people."
According to The Pulse, on Thursday, December 01, 2022, during the weekly Ministerial Briefing, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the NSA disclosed that some key IPOB commanders and IED experts were arrested and their major camps destroyed.
Monguno said, “The Indigenous People of Biafra, also known as IPOB, and its militia wing, the Eastern Security Network, have emerged as a very potent separatist group in the country and equally a major threat to national security.
"However, their activities are being significantly curtailed, as there’s now a marked decline in the number and scale of attacks due to increased security operations by security agencies.
“Apart from the reduction in attacks, some of the group’s key commanders, including IED experts, have been arrested, while major camps have been destroyed.
“Overall, security forces are gradually stabilizing the socioeconomic landscape in areas where IPOB terrorized law-abiding Nigerians in the past.
“The armed forces and other security agencies are sustaining these efforts,” Monguno said.
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