Stop associating us, ESN with Simon Ekpa – IPOB warns Enugu govt

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has warned the Enugu State government against linking the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra, Simon Ekpa.

IPOB has dismissed as false reports by the state government that police had killed 27 ESN kidnap gang members loyal to Ekpa.

Emma Powerful, spokesperson for IPOB, said the news agency of the Enugu State Governor claimed that the Nigerian police had neutralised 27 criminals and kidnappers in different locations in the state within two weeks.

However, Powerful stated that there is nothing like Autopilot in IPOB and therefore the public should no longer associate the group with such criminals.

In a statement he signed, Powerful said the “criminal gang leader in Finland” has had no relationship with ESN, or with IPOB, since its inception until now.

Powerful said: “The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by the great and indomitable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, wants to expose the fabricated and deceptive news being circulated by the media office of the Enugu State Governor. They claim that the Nigerian Police has neutralized 27 kidnap gangs of ESN members loyal to the Finland-based clown in different locations in Enugu State. The claim is not only false but also cheap propaganda against IPOB and ESN.

“The Nigerian Police and the Enugu State Government said that some of the neutralized criminals are pro-Biafra agitators loyal to the Finland-based double agent. Why then did they turn around and associate these criminals with the noble IPOB family? In the usual malicious intent of Nigerian government organs, the police alleged that the so-called neutralized criminals were ESN operatives loyal to Autopilot IPOB.

“IPOB has long maintained that there is nothing like Autopilot in IPOB. Moreover, the leader of the criminal gang in Finland has no relationship with ESN since the inception of ESN till now or with IPOB. The criminals and kidnappers have nothing in common with IPOB, ESN and the struggle in Biafra. The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mba and the Nigerian Police in Enugu State should stop their evil mischief. They should stop the unnecessary blackmail against IPOB and call the criminals by their names. The captured criminals have already said where they belong and that is not with the Eastern Security Network (ESN) of IPOB.

“We warn the media office of the Enugu State Governor to stop linking ESN and IPOB to the self-proclaimed leader of Autopilot, a double agent in Finland and his criminals in Enugu and elsewhere in Biafra.”