The Indigenous People of Biafra has said it was open for truce if the new Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, kept to his words by paving the way for peace without endangering any of their members.
This position was stated on Friday in a statement by the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, in response to Soludo.
At his inauguration on Thursday, Soludo had called on the IPOB and its security arm, Eastern Security Network, to sheathe their swords.
Responding in the statement, Powerful advised Soludo not to toe the line of his predecessors whom he claimed disrespected and betrayed so many innocent youths from the South East, leading to extrajudicial killings and wanton destruction of their homes.
He said: “We wish to assure South East and South South governors that IPOB members are human beings and we don’t have plans to suffer our people but any of them who decide to approach us with harsh manner will receive us with harsh manner.”
Powerful assured Soludo that as long as he kept to his promise, IPOB will never fight him or let him down.
He asserted that IPOB would not accept or succumb to any threats or humiliation, urging Soludo to do away with politicians who would like to advise him to kill IPOB members in Anambra State.
He added: “We were here when he came and we would be here when he would be leaving. His predecessor, former governor Willie Obiano allowed himself to be used by Fulani people and allowed them to kill his people at Nkpor in 2016 during our annual remembrance of our fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price for our freedom between 1967 and 1970. We won’t accept such to happen again with our members and citizens of Biafra nation.
“IPOB is a peaceful movement only seeking freedom of their people and nothing will make us to stop unless they give us a date for referendum to ascertain where everybody wants to belong, either in Nigeria or elsewhere.
“We are ready to work with any government who wishes to give our people peace. If you dare us, you will regret it. We are peaceful and cannot jeopardise his government.”
