How IPOB recruited 3000 Nigerians to attack security personnel, destabilize South-East - Source

Juliana Francis

IGP, Alkali Baba

Fresh information has emerged concerning a series of attacks and killings of security personnel at the South East region of Nigeria.

According to security sources, the attacks and killings which had been going on in SE were being carried out by members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), orchestrated and master minded by leader of the IPOB, Nnamdi Okwu Kanu, who is based in the United Kingdom.

At least 60 members of IPOB/ESN were arrested on Saturday after a combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the State Security Service (DSS) stormed the operational headquarters of IPOB in Awomama Village Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.

Our reporter gathered that the arrested insurgents have been singing like a bird since their arrest.  During their confessions, they allegedly told security operatives that 3000 of them were recruited last year and trained in a thick forest in Delta State. The mission and vision of the trainees were simple; destabilize SE and take control of the security apparatus in order to lead to the creation of a BIAFRA country.

A security source said: “Between October and December last year Nnamdi Kanu organised over 3000 young men in the SE. They were trained in a forest in Delta State on arms and weapons handlings. The group also recruited dismissed soldiers and police to train the recruits. After the training, they were all deployed to their respective states to organize a camp in a forest. It was in that forest that arms were supplied to them. They were instructed to attack security personnel and cart away their rifles. They were asked to go and terrorise SE states. The suspects said that their mission was to take over SE and create a Biafra country.”

According to the Intelligence report, the group further seized the opportunity of #endsars to amass weapons from police stations that were burnt and their armouries looted. “They attacked soldiers and other personnel under the #endsars protest, but the group’s target was guns,” said the source.

Security sources said that amongst the lot in police custody, most are secondary school dropouts.

A source said: “The group has been robbing citizens of the states, snatching cars, robbing and bullion vans, just to gather money. What is happening in SE was how Boko Haram started. The citizens know them, but refuse to speak out against them, seeing them saviours against political corruption. Boko Haram started by killing police and soldiers, then civilians and forcibly collecting money from them. This is exactly what is playing out in the SE. Community leaders, businessmen and politicians in SE are afraid. They don’t know what can happen to them if they speak out. Right now in SE, IPOB has started tormenting the citizens the way Boko Haram is doing in the northeast. In SE, if someone has a burial, IPOB will order the person to pay money or they wouldn’t allow them to carry out the burial. They’ll send messages to local government chairmen, demanding money or they would attack. People have been paying money under duress. Intelligence reports have also revealed that the group has sympathizers within and outside the country who fund them.”

It was further alleged that the overall commander of the insurgents in the SE, Ikonso Commander, who was killed on Saturday in the joint operation in Imo State, was the Vice President designate of the Biafra country.

Ikonso, known as the Vice President designate, was also the coordinator of all the militia operations of the group. Security forces alleged that he was the mastermind and coordinator of the attack on the Imo Police Headquarters, correctional centre in Imo State and several other attacks on security and military personnel and facilities.

“According to the plan, after the Biafra country has been created, Kanu will be the president, while commander Ikonso, will be his Vice president. The series of attacks on security personnel was because they wanted to get more arms by attacking police and soldiers. They attacked prisons in order to get more foot soldiers into their group. They have camps in all the SE states. Unfortunately the Imo State camp has politicians among those funding them.”