Nigerian Military declares IPOB a Terrorist Organization

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters have declared the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a militant terrorist organization.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Director of Defence Information, Major John Enenche advised parents to dissuade their wards from joining the group expressly reiterating that the Army will confront “all security challenges facing the country”.

The reasons listed for the declaration include the formation of a Biafra Secret Service, the reported formation of Biafra National Guard, blocking of public access roads and so much more.

The full declaration reads:

The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) group which has posed to be a security challenge in the Country, has been metamorphosing from one stage to the other. After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient, to notify the general public that; the claim by IPOB actors that the organization 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 has been terrorising the general public among others include;

The formation of a Biafra Secret Service.

Claimed formation of Biafra National Guard.

Unauthorised blocking of public access roads.

Extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal roadblocks.

Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, Molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.

Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a checkpoint on 11 September 2017 and also attempts to snatch their rifles.

Attack by IPOB members, on a military checkpoint on 12 September 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.