BY Ebunoluwa Olafusi
Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has signed an executive order proscribing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
Wike made the announcement in a state-wide broadcast in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, saying the state remains home to all tribes.
The police had alleged that three of its officers were killed by members of the proscribed group.
Joseph Mukan, Rivers commissioner of police, had also alleged that three police stations and several vehicles were burnt by the group.
The governor described the alleged murder of the policemen as “unacceptable and unfortunate”.
According to him, the killing of policemen is one crime that the state government will never condone.
“We have everything against the presence and activities of the legally proscribed and anarchic Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and whatever that group stands for in Rivers state,” Wike said.
“This is clearly a terrorist group whose existence, creed, mission, and activities are strongly denounced even by the government and peoples of the south-eastern states of the country.
“I have therefore signed the executive order to reinforce the total ban on IPOB and its activities in Rivers state or any part thereof and nothing will stop us from enforcing this ban in its entirety.”
The governor also lifted the curfew earlier imposed in some parts of the state in the wake of the #EndSARS protests.
He, however, said the curfew in Oyigbo local government area still remains.
Wike also announced N20 million compensation to each of the family of soldiers and policemen allegedly killed by IPOB members in Oyigbo during the #EndSARS protest.
In a statement by Kevin Ebiri, his special assistant on media, the governor also promised to rebuild all burnt police stations in Oyigbo.
He said the state government will support the police to make sure that all IPOB members who masterminded the killing of the policemen and soldiers are apprehended.
“IPOB masterminded the killing of our gallant officers of the Nigerian police and army. We want to state clearly that Rivers state government will support you to make sure that any of the perpetrators of this hideous crime does not go free,” Wike was quoted to have said.
“Enough is enough. You cannot continue to kill our policemen that have not done anything, who have not committed any crime.”
In 2017, a federal high court in Abuja had declared the activities of IPOB as “acts of terrorism”, following an application filed by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), asking the court to proscribe the group.
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