Indigenous People of Biafra, a secessionist group agitating for the Biafra Republic from Nigeria, says it will not disband its militant arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, stated this in a press release made available to journalists on Monday.
The group stated this in reaction to claims by security agencies that IPOB and ESN had camps in the forest and that security forces recently destroyed such camps located in parts of Anambra and other South-Eastern states.
IPOB insisted it had no camps in forests in the states mentioned, insisting that it was all government propaganda, just to link any alleged criminal hideouts to IPOB and that such a move would be resisted.
IPOB said the existence of ESN had saved the South-East from being annexed by rampaging Fulani herdsmen, who have overtaken Benue and Plateau states.
The statement read, “ESN exists to keep the East safe from the ravages of killer herdsmen now plaguing the entire middle belt and people like them.
“Since the launch of ESN by our Supreme Leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU, the main objective of ensuring the safety of farmlands in the East has been accomplished. Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen have had no locus to operate in our farmlands and territory.
“The mischievous mischaracterisation of the activities of ESN that saved the entire south-east and south-south from the murderous onslaught of killer herdsmen now ravaging Benue State and Plateau axis should not be trivialised by attributing any alleged criminal hideout to ESN.
“ESN Operatives have no criminal camps. We know there is a concerted effort by those seeking the weakening of ESN in order to launch a murderous invasion of the East under the guise of a farmer/herder clash.
“Had it not been for ESN, Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen would have taken Enugu, Anambra Ebonyi, Imo and Abia States.
“ESN has come to stay with Biafrans and nothing will change the objectives of the outfit.”
