The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that the pursuit of a referendum is not an act of terrorism but a democratic right.
IPOB Media & Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, stated this in a statement which was made available on Saturday in Abuja.
The group reiterated its commitment to ending insecurity in the East and listed three demands.
IPOB said it demanded; “The immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from illegal detention by the Nigerian and UK governments.
“An international panel of inquiry, led by the United States, to investigate the root causes of insecurity in Igboland and expose the true culprits.
“We call on the international community to hold the Nigerian government accountable for its manipulative tactics and human rights abuses.
“The pursuit of a referendum is not terrorism—it is a democratic right. The world must see through Nigeria’s lies and stand with the truth.”
In the statement titled: “Nigerian Government’s Anti-IPOB Media Campaign is a Deliberate Ploy to Manipulate Public Opinion,” the group condemned alleged Federal Government’s “orchestrated media campaign to demonise our movement, particularly as the court hearing of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, approaches.”
It alleged that for four years, government-friendly media houses have peddled false narratives, labeling IPOB as violent to sway public opinion and influence Abuja-based courts.
“This well-financed operation seeks to distract from the undeniable truth: the APC government has no case against Kanu.
“IPOB is a non-violent self-determination movement advocating for a democratic referendum to restore Biafra.
“No IPOB member has ever been convicted of any crime in Nigeria, yet the government persists in scapegoating us to divert attention from Fulani massacres and widespread insecurity across the country.
“The recent claim of a “police raid on an IPOB terror camp” in Imo State is another fabrication.
“IPOB maintains no camps in Imo or anywhere else,” he said
It further alleged that “criminal elements like the Biafra Liberation Army, unaffiliated with IPOB, have openly collaborated with state actors,” to unleash terror on the people.
“Shamefully, corrupt media houses ignore these verifiable allegations, choosing instead to propagate lies for profit.
“Under President Tinubu, the APC government continues Buhari’s anti-Igbo policies, suppressing dissent and fueling ethnic tensions.
“Media complicity in this repression is a betrayal of truth and justice,” the group said.
