The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called for investigation into the alleged invasion, burning down of some houses, and killing of some innocent, peaceful civilians without provocation by the Nigeria military in Ogbaru Local government of Anambra state.
The group in a statement over the weekend and signed by the Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, described the incident as barbaric and inhumane, an action he accused the Nigerian army of “murdering innocent villagers, poured inflammable substance on them and set them ablaze is the low of the lowest.”
The Biafra separatist group described the activities of Nigerian soldiers against innocent Biafrans as nothing short of terrorism.
He also accused the Nigeria army of becoming a terrorist group in army uniform.
The statement read, “This is the trademark of terror groups and terrorists. It presupposes, therefore, that the Nigerian army has degenerated into a bunch of terrorists in army uniform.
“The Nigerian military invaded some communities in Ogbaru, burnt down some houses, murdered and burnt the bodies of some innocent, peaceful civilians without provocation.
“This is a classic modus operandi of terror groups. The Nigerian soldiers, not being satisfied with murdering some innocent villagers, went ahead to pour petrol on the lifeless bodies of their slaughtered victims and set them ablaze.
“This terroristic and barbaric action of the Nigerian soldiers is unacceptable. The activities of Nigerian soldiers against innocent Biafrans are nothing short of terrorism.
“The Nigerian army is one of the state-sponsored terrorists, wearing official uniforms sent down to Biafraland to commit unimaginable acts of state-sponsored terror against Ndigbo and Biafrans in general.”
The group noted that similar unprovoked genocide against the Igbo culminated in the first civil war.
IPOB, therefore, said that the earlier that the Nigeria government organised a referendum for Biafrans to exit Nigeria in peace, the better, in order to avoid the repeat of the past.
The pro-Biafra group called on the Anambra State governor, Prof Charles Soludo to conduct an investigation into the Nigerian army’s motive of killing innocent civilians, as well as burning their lifeless bodies with petrol.
“Human rights organisations, particularly Amnesty International Nigeria, the Intersociety, United Nations Human Right Council, and the foreign missions in Nigeria, should seek answers into the barbaric actions of the Nigerian army.
“The barbaric murder and burning of the lifeless bodies of innocent Ogbaru people by the Nigerian Army must be investigated, and the barbarians and the terrorists within the Nigerian military that carried out the dastardly act brought to justice,” the group said.