The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged residents of the South East States to ignore the weekly Monday sit-at-home orders.
In a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB insisted that it had long suspended the weekly order because of its economic implications on the people.
Powerful also warned that anybody caught coaxing the people to complain to the “purported non-existent sit-at-home order” would be treated as a traitor cum enemy of the people and “must be dealt with.”
He said: “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again, that we have no other sit-at-home order after 14th September.
“Any other purported sit-at-home including the suspended weekly sit-at-home on Mondays does not exist in the dairy of IPOB. In fact, after September 14, there is no other sit-at-home this week. Any contrary news or speculations to this effect should be ignored.”
“Anybody trying to enforce any sit-at-home order using the name of IPOB is a saboteur, and does so at his peril. If we catch anybody disturbing the peace of Biafrans or residents in Biafra land under the guise of enforcing non-existent sit-at-home order, such a person regret his actions because he will receive the reward of traitors.”
“IPOB is a responsible organization with reasoning and empathy. We cannot be part of the problem we are trying to solve. We cannot join the enemies to compound the woes of our people we are fighting to liberate.
“That was why we suspended the ghost Mondays that we earlier declared because of the economic implications to our people. We listened to appeals by the people and reviewed our stance on the matter then. That was why we reduced the sit-at-home protests to the days our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be making appearances in court. That is enough for now and we stand by it.”
In a related development, IPOB has also condemned the reported attack by persons suspected to be members of the group on Okporo Secondary School in Njaba council area of Imo State, on Monday.
The yet-to-be-identified persons had dispersed the students taking their WAEC examination and set motorcycles belonging to their invigilators in the process.
IPOB described the attack as barbaric, heinous and stupid, and vowed to deal ruthlessly with those behind the act.
“On this note, IPOB strongly condemn the barbaric act by hoodlums and mentally deranged fellows who disrupted a WAEC exam in a school in Imo State on Monday. What a stupid madness! Whoever was behind such barbarity must be made to pay for their actions,” Powerful said.
“IPOB leadership is hereby promising to replace those motorbikes burnt in the school to their owners and rebuild school blocks burnt by hoodlums in the name of ESN and IPOB volunteers.
“This is not to portray or indicate that IPOB committed the heinous crimes against our people and promise to set up taskforce to checkmate those parading themselves as IPOB volunteers and those committing this crime against humanity and our people.
“We plead to Biafrans to bear with us for this dastardly act against humanity they are using to disrepute and demonize IPOB in the world. We are calling on the school management and those their properties were destroyed to contact any IPOB office near to them for possible payments of their properties.”