BEVERLY HILLS, November 12, (THEWILL) – Members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have staged a demonstration in Onitsha, threatening voters in the 18 November governorship election in Anambra state.
“If you vote you will die. Don’t go out, stay in your house. If you vote on November 18, you will die. We are not running around for the zoo,” Emma Powerful, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, told newsmen as they marched in Onitsha.
“There will be no election. We will not participate, we will not vote. Nothing concerns us with any election. We are formidable.
“We are in Onitsha to tell the Federal Government to produce Kanu. They should release all the Biafrans in Nigerian prisons.
“Today in Onitsha, we broke the python Buratai, Ohanaeze, Obiano and Igbo governors brought to our land.
“Anybody doubting the resolve of IPOB under the supreme command of Nnamdi Kanu is mistaken.
“We will put Anambra State on lockdown on November 18. This is a taste of what is to come. Nigeria should be prepared.”
However, Nkeiruka Nwode, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Anambra State Police Command, said the IPOB march has no effect, insisting that the state police command had concluded arrangements for effective policing of the state during the election.
She asked residents of the state to go out en masse to exercise their franchise on the day of the election.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar, on his part, warned that anybody operating as a member of IPOB was testing the might of the law, reminding the people that the governors of the South-East had proscribed the group.
“IPOB is a proscribed organization and I had earlier warned the people of Anambra State to desist from associating with the organization and its activities,” he said.
“By circulating leaflets and directing people not to come out for the Anambra governorship election, these people want to sabotage the Federal Government’s efforts to maintain peace in the country.
“INEC and the security agencies have been preparing for a successful election on November 18, but this illegal group is determined to continue to cause confusion in the country. Only last week, the police in Onitsha arrested two persons, Elochukwu Okolosi and Udeagha Ebubechukwu, at the printing press where they were allegedly working on IPOB documents meant for circulation.
“We wish to urge Anambra people to ignore these saboteurs by coming out to vote as the police is ready to provide adequate security during the election. The two persons will face the consequences of their action because they do not mean well for the people of Anambra State.”
Also, Jimoh Moshood, the Force spokesperson, warned the IPOB members not to interfere with the election process in their own interest, adding that the police would deal with them the way an outlawed group should be dealt with.
“They (IPOB) should steer clear of Anambra because we have deployed enough personnel in the state; any miscreant who misbehaves would have himself to blame as he would be dealt with. IPOB should not test our will or resolve,” Moshood warned.
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