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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a secessionist organisation, has been accused by President Muhammadu Buhari of damaging infrastructure such as oil pipelines.
In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful rejected the President’s accusation that the group was damaging pipelines, calling it absurd.
Nnamdi Kanu founded IPOB, which has been campaigning for the Republic of Biafra’s reinstatement, in 2012.
Kanu, a British-born Nigerian political activist, is well known for his support of the current Biafran independence struggle and for his harsh criticism of the Nigerian government.
Read Also: Buhari Blames IPOB Blowing Up Foreign Oil Pipelines
On June 29, 2021, the Nigerian government announced that Kanu had been rearrested. He was subsequently charged to court again and remanded in the custody of the department of state services.
In the interview with Bloomberg, Buhari lamented that criminality was hindering oil production, adding that the country had stepped up its efforts in combating oil theft and vandalism.
He stated, ‘Criminality and terrorism in oil-producing regions hamper production, and it would help if our western allies designated IPOB as a terrorist group, given their complicity in damage to pipelines and infrastructure.’
He said government efforts in combating oil theft were succeeding
‘These efforts are making an impact: wells that had to be closed due to criminality have now re-opened. With these efforts, OPEC has raised our quota for next month.
‘We have invested in our security forces, including the $1 billion military deal with the U.S. for the acquisition of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.
“These efforts are making an impact: wells that had to be closed due to criminality have now re-opened. With these efforts, OPEC has raised our quota for next month.”
Last month, The Eastern Updates reported that Nigeria was unable to produce about 22.658 million barrels of crude oil valued at N1.22tn in the first quarter of this year due to its persistent inability to meet the crude oil production quota approved for the country by OPEC.
Responding to Buhari’s allegation, IPOB spokesman, Powerful, stated that it was ‘funny’ and ‘laughable.’
He said the group’s only interest was the actualisation of the ‘Biafra freedom struggle’ and nothing else.
He stated IPOB’s leadership was studying Buhari’s comments and would respond to him appropriately.
A foremost Igbo intellectual body, Akeanga, described as faulty, the demand by the President that the West should designate IPOB as a terrorist group.
