The Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB has said it was not involved in the beheading of Army couple, saying whoever carried out the act would be punished.
IPOB said it’s the culture of the Igbo people to protect their in-laws even if they are from another part of the country.
Recall that the Nigerian army had alleged that its officers beheaded after their wedding in Imo State were killed by the IPOB.
But a statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled “We have no hand in the beheading of Army couple in Imo State”, called on Igbo ancestors to avenge such wickedness of killing an Igbo daughter and her husband.
The pro-Biafra group also said while it was committed to the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, the project was not predicated on shedding the blood of any human being, even when their innocent members and their relations and sympathizers were killed almost on daily basis by security men.
According to IPOB, no true Igbo person will hurt an in-law, let alone one marrying an Igbo daughter.
The statement read: “We are the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the command of our indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Our attention has been drawn to the laughable and fallacious statement credited to the Nigerian Army that IPOB is responsible for the killing of a couple on transit in Imo State after their marriage ceremony.
“We, therefore, wish to place on record that IPOB has no hands in the said dastardly and barbaric act. It is an atrocity which is an abominable act in Igbo tradition to kill a couple for whatever reason. No true Igbo will hurt an in-law, let alone one marrying our daughter (Ada Igbo) in Igbo land. The Igbo ancestors will avenge this wickedness meted to an in-law and our daughter.
“Before the Army jumped into their jaundiced conclusion that such an abominable act was masterminded by IPOB, what investigations did they carry out to substantiate their claims?
“When have armed gunmen or criminals recruited by evil politicians in Imo State in connivance with the same security agencies in their desperation to demonize IPOB, become IPOB members?
“The compromised Nigeria security agencies particularly the Nigeria military is behind the ongoing secret genocide in Biafra land under the guise of hunting for IPOB members, while the real mass murderers and bandits are on the prowl in South East and Northern Nigeria.
“They have always looked for occasions to attack innocent Igbo youths. Who knows the number of innocent Biafrans they will rope in, in the aftermath of this abominable act and tag them the suspects or IPOB members.
“The Nigeria Army should leave IPOB alone because we are not killers, we do not shed blood and can never be unknown gunmen that are pursuing them. The monster they created is now after them, yet they keep pointing accusing fingers at us.”