TheCable

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the south-east governors of compiling the names of its members to hand over to the federal government.

Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesman, said on Saturday that the list is being compiled with the support of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and some traditional rulers.

TheCable has contacted David Umahi, chairman of the South-east Governors Forum, for comment but has not yet had a response.

IPOB, which had been outlawed as a terrorist organisation, also accused the Igbo leaders of attempting to clamp down the Eastern Security Network (ESN), which it runs as a security arm.

“This wicked move was suggested by the Nigeria Government and her security operatives with hope to weaken IPOB and ESN making every effort to flush terrorists out of our land,” Powerful said in a statement.

“Our efforts to stop terrorists in the East have indisputably intensified since the formation of ESN but regrettably, the politicians and government officials including local authorities in some communities in South East are sabotaging these efforts.

“The South-Eastern Governors in collaboration with all the Traditional Rulers in the Zone and the PGs of all the Communities in the Zone are compiling names of suspected IPOB members in their respective communities to hand over to Nigeria security agencies for possible executions.”

IPOB added that the purported clampdown was because the ESN is seen as a menace in the south-east which has been recording increasing criminal attacks in recent weeks.

It said it has nothing to do with those carrying out the attacks, adding: “We wonder why Government will continue to associate us with that group without investigations.”

“The Nigeria Government must understand that IPOB cannot be decimated no matter what they do. The unknown gunmen are not ESN or IPOB,” the group said.