… Watchout: Soon Army Will deny there were no killings or brutality in the East
IT NEWS NIGERIA:
THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai sai last night that the Defence Headquarters did not declare the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB an terrorists.
He said this at the launch of Operation Python Dance II in Abakaliki.
he argued that what the Defence Headquarters did was a pronouncement on IPOB in order to allow military room to do what they did on unarmed young men.
he siad the action of the Federal government concerning IPOB was .
“You have to get it very clear. First of all, what the Defence Headquarters did was to make pronouncement. It wasn’t a declaration per se. But this has given room for the right step to be taken. I think the government is doing the right thing.
“It is not that we are overstepping our bounds. We are still within the limits. And I ensure you that what the military said was to set the ball rolling and to bring the awareness to the public that this is what this organization is all about. I’m happy that the government has done the right thing right now.
On Friday, he Defence Headquarters branded the IPOB as a “militant terrorist organisation’’ and urged parents to dissuade their wards from joining the group, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, the Director, Defence Information (DDI).
“After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient to notify the general public that the claim by IPOB actors that the organisation is non-violent is not true. “Hence, the need to bring to public awareness the true and current state of IPOB.
“In this regard, some of their actions, clandestinely and actively, that have been terrorising the general public include: “The formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public access roads and extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks. “Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles, among others) on a military patrol on Sept. 10, 2017.
“Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a check point on Sept. 11, 2017 and also attempt to snatch their rifles. “Attack by IPOB members on a military check point on Sept. 12, 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.’’
“From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wish to confirm to the general public that IPOB from all intent, plan and purpose as analysed, is a militant terrorist organisation,’’ the DDI headed by Buritai said.
