The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a strong statement claiming that the recent killings in Benue State have exposed what they describe as the "sinister agenda" behind the detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful alleged that Kanu's continued incarceration is part of a deliberate plot to facilitate "the Fulanis conquest of indigenous people." The group characterized the violence in Benue as "genocidal killings" that reveal the true motives behind Kanu's situation.
"The ongoing genocidal killings in Benue State, as widely reported by credible national media outlets, expose the sinister agenda behind the illegal abduction, extraordinary rendition, and unlawful detention of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu," Powerful stated.
IPOB Defends Kanu's Role
In the statement, IPOB portrayed Kanu as a protector of indigenous populations rather than a problem for Nigeria. "Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not the problem of Nigeria. He was the shield standing between indigenous populations and total annihilation by foreign-sponsored Janjaweed mercenaries masquerading as herdsmen," the statement read.
The group further claimed that Kanu's vocal opposition to what they termed "the creeping invasion of Fulani terrorist herdsmen, their RUGA settlement scam, and the evil Waterways Bill" led to his abduction and continued detention.
According to IPOB, these initiatives were "carefully designed to seize ancestral lands and subjugate native populations," and Kanu's resistance "frustrated those plots and forced the Fulani oligarchy to activate Plan B — his abduction and continued incarceration."
The statement comes amid reports of significant casualties in Benue State, with local media reporting that 127 persons were killed in the Yelewata community.
President Bola Tinubu has reportedly announced plans to visit Benue on Wednesday to address the security situation, while the Inspector General of Police has promised to end the violence in the state.
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