Proscription: We won’t change name, says IPOB

The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra on Friday said it has no plans to operate under a new name as a result of its proscription by the Federal Government.

IPOB spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful, in a statement, declared that the group would not change its name.

Powerful alleged that the Federal Government in company with the South-East Governors Forum and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have paid some unnamed individuals to float another pro-Biafra group, supposedly to replace IPOB.

According to him, the alleged plot is meant to create the impression that IPOB was no more.

He insisted that IPOB was still active, despite its proscription.

The statement reads, “We the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leadership worldwide under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the prophet our time, wish to bring to the attention of Biafrans and the world at large that IPOB has never and will never change name because of kangaroo and black market order obtained from a Federal High Court Abuja.

“It came to our knowledge that some unscrupulous individuals and groups in our society have been paid by Federal government, Igbo governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo led by Nnia Nwodo to form another group.

“There is no such organisation in place of IPOB.

“The fact of the matter is that the Federal Government, in collusion with Igbo governors, are using some individuals to give the impression that IPOB is no more.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. Our protests going on all over the world is clear evidence that IPOB is presently enjoying more appeal than at any other time in our history.

“Many more scams like this will be unleashed on the gullible in the coming weeks and months but we are not perturbed because we have machinery in place to debunk such nonsense as they arise.

“People are flooding to IPOB that remains till this day, the biggest mass movement anywhere on earth.

“The Federal Government, Igbo governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo may form these mushroom groups once in a while but they quickly fizzle out as they came.

“The United State, United Kingdom, France and the European Union have made it clear that IPOB is not a terrorist organisation so anybody entertaining the thought that it is, can only be considered an agent of Nigeria and enemy of Biafra.”