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The members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has come down hard on a former militant leader, Asari Dokubo, over his recent comments about the group and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement sent to The Eastern Updates, the spokesperson of the group, Emma Powerful accused Dokubo of using Kanu’s name to buy favour from the Federal Government in oil pipeline protection contract, saying IPOB was not in the league of militants and oil pipeline guards.
He described Dokubo’s voluntary request to guard oil pipelines as a move for monetary gain and to work as a Federal Government’s decoy.
He said IPOB stood for freedom for Biafrans, including those working as oil pipeline security guards, and Kanu has never attacked any oil infrastructure nor killed anyone in the course of his struggle for independent Biafra.
‘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 government-sponsored oil contracts and bunkering as the region is exploited. IPOB is not in the same mission with any of the militant groups. IPOB headed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is fighting for total emancipation and independence of Biafra where Biafra resources will be controlled by and used for Biafrans.’
Read Also: Don’t Release Nnamdi Kanu, Asari Dokubo Urges Tinubu
‘We are cautioning those campaigning for continuous illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be aware of dangers ahead. Mazi Nnamdi kanu is the only innocent political prisoner in Nigeria because of ethnic profiling and prejudice. He has not committed any crime known to local and international laws. Nigeria Government must released him unconditionally as ordered by the courts or risk paying the price of disobedience to laws.
‘Criminals using IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu illegal detention to look for oil guard contract in Aso Rock Abuja should be guided. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has not destroyed any oil infrastructure nor has he killed anyone. He was neither part of Nigeria youths that started the protest against brutal police SARS during #ENDSARS protest like one insatiable greedy creek pig has alleged.’
Powerful said those campaigning for the continuous detention of Kanu in DSS solitary confinement should know that militancy for monetary gains is in the same category as criminals and terrorists.
‘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.’
In its reaction, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) described the utterances of the factional leader of Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo against Kanu as a ranting of a frustrated criminal.
MASSOB under the leadership of Uchenna Madu said Dokubo was not worthy of the attention he was trying to get from the Nigerian government, describing him as an economic saboteur.
In a statement by the National Director Of Information, Edeson Samuel, MASSOB said, ‘Asari Dokubo should be ashamed of himself, for bit the finger that fed him, by selling his conscience as an object of cheap sabotage against the collective interest of the Eastern region in order to get relevance from the federal government he fought against and killed her hundreds of military and other security agents.
‘Asari Dokubo is the criminal not Nnamdi Kanu. How can a man with illegal possession of General-Purpose Machine guns and hundreds of AK-47, call a man without a catapult a criminal. When a man points a finger at others, he should remember that the other fingers are pointing back at him.’
Reminding Dokubo how he and his militant boys destroyed and vandalized petroleum pipelines in the name of self-determination agitation for the Ijaw people, MASSOB said Dokubo asking President Tinubu not to release Nnamdi Kanu was a direct exposure of the real criminal to that should be ignored.
Similarly, the family of the detained IPOB leader said it was a big shame and embarrassment for Nigeria that a contract-seeking militant would be calling on the Federal Government not to release a freedom fighter.
Reacting, the spokesperson for the Kanu family, Emmanuel, said the family would not in any way want to join issues with Dokubo because Kanu is not on the same page with him.
‘While Dokubo is a known militant who failed in his mission and is now looking for a contract from where he could feed himself and his family, I’mn the other hand, Nnamdi Kanu is a freedom fighter who has come to liberate his people, including Dokubo himself.
‘There’s no basis for comparing Nnamdi Kanu who is a freedom fighter with Asari Dokubo, a contract-seeking militant. So, there’s a great difference between a freedom fighter and a militant.’
‘Nnamdi Kanu is a freedom fighter and not a militant, being who he is, he is fighting for the good of everyone, including Asari Dokubo, Nnamdi Kanu has come to rescue him as well’.
Emmanuel said Kanu’s stand on what he is pursuing is very clear, adding that his brother is not looking for any contract from anybody; but is only interested in liberating every Nigerian and Biafran, including Asari Dokubo himself.
The family advised the Federal Government to be involved in more important things than listening to a mere rambling from a contract-seeking militant.
