South East Killings: ‘Amnesty Int’l Losing Focus’ – Says IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has maintained innocence about the continuous killings in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.

In a statement made available to newsmen during the weekend by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the secessionists, faulted international human rights organisation, Amnesty International, for accusing them of being responsible for the unrest in the South East.

IPOB said it is surprising to see Amnesty International which is known to be a fearless Rights defender now yielding to the voices of the political.

According to IPOB, the international body is only responding to fire and pressure by the oppressive Fulani controlled federal government of Nigeria over its critical stance against the government’s excesses.

“But it’s not enough to jolt the reputable organization into making unsubstantiated utterances,” the secessionists said.

“How will it be IPOB that is behind the killings and the governor with all the intelligence at his disposal will still be pointing accusing fingers at his fellow governors? Or is Amnesty International suggesting that South-East governors are now members and sponsors of IPOB?” Powerful questioned.

According to him, the allegation by AI was unfounded and unsubstantiated, insisting that the statement credited to Amnesty International was very disappointing for a group of that standing.

IPOB’s statement reads further: “It is baffling that a reputable global organisation like Amnesty International will condescend into making statements without investigations. How did Amnesty International arrive at its conclusion that IPOB is responsible for the killings in South East?

“In case Amnesty International has forgotten, let it be reminded that IPOB had suspended its earlier order for Ghost Mondays before hooligans sponsored by politicians hijacked the exercise to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens under the guise of enforcing the suspended order just to implicate IPOB and we still stand by that order and decision that Monday sit at home has been suspended.”

IPOB insists that anybody purporting to enforce Sit-At-Home on Monday was not a member of its group.

It reiterated that last week’s killing as a result of the sit at home by an angry mob in Mbaise Imo State was not by IPOB family members.

The group insists that Amnesty International must verify any information before making pronouncements to the public.

IPOB also asked Amnesty International if it was not aware that Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra State had accused his fellow South East governors of sponsoring the killings in his state.

He said: “How will it be IPOB that is behind the killings and the governor with all the intelligence at his disposal will still be pointing accusing fingers at his fellow governors? Or is Amnesty International suggesting that South East governors are now members and sponsors of IPOB?

“Why is Amnesty International beginning to drift away from its respected position as fearless Rights defender? We understand its predicament having come under fire and pressure by the oppressive Fulani controlled federal government of Nigeria over its critical stance against the government’s excesses. But it’s not enough to jolt the reputable organization into making unsubstantiated utterances.

“Amnesty International were you not seeing the numerous attacks and killings going on in Awka Etiti Community, how Nigeria army murdered brother and sister who were coming back from mortuary where they deposited the lifeless body of their mother, Nigeria security agents shot them dead and one innocent young man at Izombe Community who stood at the front of his compound was murdered today by Nigeria army and burnt his house at Izombe village in Oguta LGA Imo State.

“Nigeria Army burnt down more than 50 houses and property worth of #500m at Izombe Community in Oguta LGA, Amnesty International never seen the barbarity going on in Imo State now, they will come out and talk unsubstantiated statement about IPOB that we are behind the killings and attacks going on in South East. Nigeria army burning properties in that area, IPOB will never succumb to their threat because we knew that they are not Nigeria army but fulani jihadists soldiers disguised as Nigeria army and they are here for mission we know their antics.”