The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has dissociated itself from Monday’s attacks on both the Police Command and Correctional Service headquarters in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Mr Emma Powerful IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, said in a statement on Monday that the group was formed on the principle of peace and would not compromise its principles. It would also not attack government’s facilities, he stated.
The statement stated, “The attention of IPOB has been drawn to the fallacious and fabricated reports that it is involved in the attack of prison and police headquarters in Imo. IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) are known groups, not unknown gunmen. ESN is in the bush chasing terrorists and have no business with the said attacks.
“We were not involved in the attack in Owerri and the recent attack on Onitsha-Owerri road at Ukwuorji junction. It is not our mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities,’’ he stated.
It would be recalled that the police headquarters in Imo as well as that of the Correctional Service (Prison) were attacked at about 2:00 a.m. on Monday by unknown gunmen. They set hundreds of inmates free from the Correctional Centre and set many vehicles there ablaze. Meanwhile soldiers have been drafted to secure the Government House in Owerri. The troops already barricaded main roads to the facility.
