Asari (left) and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
By NewsBits
The Indigenous People of Biafra has hit ex-militant leader, Asari Dokubo, over his call on the Federal Government not to release the detained pro-Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu. In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB accused Dokubo of playing to the gallery in a bid to obtain President Bola Tinubu’s favour so as to secure oil pipelines security contract.
The pro-Biafran group, however, warned the ex-militant leader that “Cajoling IPOB leader cannot secure you contract, instead that will bring you down.” Asari-Dokubo had, while addressing journalists last Friday after visiting President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, opposed the calls for Kanu’s release from custody, saying the move would not bring peace.
Reacting to him, IPOB “cautioned those campaigning for continuous illegal detention of Nnamdi Kanu to beware of dangers ahead,” saying, “Kanu is the only innocent political prisoner in Nigeria because of ethnic profiling and prejudice.” IPOB said, “Dokubo and others are campaigning for the continuous detention of Nnamdi Kanu in the DSS solitary confinement, but they forgot that militancy for monetary gains are in the same category as criminals and terrorists.
“IPOB is not in the league of militants and oil pipeline guards. IPOB stands for freedom for Biafrans, including those on oil pipeline security guards for the oppressors. It’s unfortunate that those who are supposed to be in the decision-making of the oil explorations in their region are guarding the oil pipelines for the oppressors and their children.
“Those bent on killing each other for the oil pipeline contracts are in the same way bent on sabotaging those fighting to liberate them from decades of slavery.” The IPOB spokesman advised Dokubo to desist from using Kanu’s “illegal detention” to look for oil guard contract, adding that Kanu neither destroyed any oil infrastructure nor killed anyone.
According to IPOB, were Nigeria to be a sane society, it is militants that should be in jail rather than Kanu, who is “fighting for total emancipation and independence of Biafra. But Nigeria is a country where thugs, terrorists and militants are respected and rewarded better than university professors.
“We have two sets of militants in Niger Delta. Some are fighting for resource control to better their region while some are fighting to enrich themselves through Federal Government sponsored oil contract and bunkering as the region is exploited. IPOB is not in the same mission with any of the militant groups,” the statement said.
