IPOB Rejects ‘Terrorist Militant’ Label, Calls For Dismissal Of DHQ Spokesperson

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a self-determination group calling for the independence of Biafra, has reacted to the move by the Nigerian military that labelled the organisation a “terrorist militant” group.

In an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Saturday, September 16, 2017, signed by Emma Nmezu and Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya, spokesperson for IPOB, the group said that a competent court has already declared IPOB a lawful organisation and that the latest action by the Nigerian authorities was in contempt of court and illegal.

The leading self-determination group operating in the South East of Nigeria, also spelled out the conditions necessary for an organisation to be labelled “terrorist” and that none were applicable to IPOB. It also reiterated its non-violent stance in pushing for a United Nations supervised referendum to determine the future of Biafra Republic.

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On Friday, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has branded the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as a “militant terrorist organisation’’ and urged parents to dissuade their wards from joining the group.

This pronouncement comes as tensions rise in the country over a military operation in the South East region of the country where the dominant tribe, the Igbos, have been agitating for the independence of Biafra, a defunct country which broke away from Nigeria in the 60s.

The operation, tagged Python Dance II, has triggered widespread ethnic tension and mass hysteria in the country. Skirmishes have spilled over from the South East to Port Harcourt, Rivers State in the South South and Jos, Plateau State in the North Central.

You may read the full IPOB statement below:

TIME TO ARREST, DISMISS, AND PROSECUTE MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN ENENCHE FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT IN HIS DECLARATION OF IPOB AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the Leadership Team of the Directorate of State (DOS) hereby state that the time has come for the dismissal, arrest, and prosecution of Major-General John Enenche for contempt of court and usurping the roles and responsibilities of the Judiciary by unilaterally declaring IPOB as a terrorist organization without obtaining any court pronouncement.

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During an ill-informed and contemptuous press release, the 51-year old John Enenche stated that the Nigerian Army has declared IPOB a terrorist organization. This declaration is not only judicially provocative and belligerent, the Idoma-born army officer acted beyond the mandate of the Nigerian Army as specified in Sections 10 & 11 of CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (L.F.N.) 2004 and in Section-217(2) of the Nigerian fraudulent constitution.

Recall that on March 1, 2017, the Honourable Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja declared in her ruling that IPOB is not an unlawful society/organization. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako gave her judgment having studied the conditions for an organization to be deemed unlawful as stipulated in Section-62 of CAP C38 L.F.N. 2004. Up till this day, that ruling from Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako has not been upturned by any court. For John Enenche to unilaterally declare IPOB a terrorist organization, he has committed the crime of contempt of court by undermining or disobeying the ruling of Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako. And for this reason, Major-General John Enenche (though a Biafran from Idoma land) must be dismissed from the Nigerian Army, arrested and brought to trial in the court of Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako.

For those who do not know, what constitute the acts of terrorism are well defined in Section-1(2) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011 and as amended in 2013. In the same Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011, Section-2 stipulated that only a Judge can declare an organization proscribed based on proven case of acts of terrorism and such case will be presented to the Judge through an application made by the Attorney General or the National Security Adviser or the Inspector General of Police with the approval of the President. The Judge’s declaration will thereafter be gazetted.

The questions that now beg for answers are: (1) Does the Director of Defence Information (DDI) of the Nigerian Army (Major-General John Enenche) fall into any of the three categories of persons that should make an application to a Judge to declare IPOB a terrorist organization? (2) Which Judge did the DDI make such application to and was it approved by the President prior to submitting the application? (3) Where is the approval given to the DDI by the Judge? (4) When and where was the Judge’s declaration gazetted?

From a careful review and analysis of (a) CAP A20 L.F.N., (b) Section-217 of Nigerian fraudulent constitution, and (c) Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011, the Nigerian Army and its DDI have deceived the public by illegally declaring IPOB a terrorist organization. In particular, this deceitful act is a violation and interference into the Judicial arm of government and it is an overreach. It is also a deliberate act in contempt of a subsisting ruling in a competent court of law. The perpetrator of this crime, Major-General John Enenche, must be dismissed from the Nigerian Army, be arrested after his dismissal, and be prosecuted and jailed for contempt of court. This will serve as a deterrent to others who flagrantly and frequently violate the Laws and even contravene the Nigerian fraudulent constitution such as the ongoing unconstitutional “Operation Python Dance-2.”

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whether led by Nnamdi Kanu or led by the DOS, is not a terrorist organization because no court of competent jurisdiction has so declared it. The so-called declaration by Major-General John Enenche is null and void and of no effect. The public should accordingly ignore such illegal and ill-advised declarations. The DOS assures all men and women of goodwill that the restoration of the nation of Biafra is a divine project whose time has come and is, therefore, unstoppable, unquenchable, irreversible, and irrevocable.
Long live IPOB and long live the nation of Biafra!!!

Signed

Barrister Emma Nmezu
Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya
Spokespersons for IPOB