IPOB Condemns Attack On Security Operatives In Imo State; Blames Government

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) condemned the recent attack in Imo State in which at least eight security operatives were killed blaming the government for the same on Thursday.

Unidentified gunmen killed at least eight security operatives on Tuesday in the Umualumaku community, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria's south-east.

IPOB's spokesman, Emma Powerful said, "Such reckless attacks and shedding of blood are not needed to achieve Biafra freedom in our territory," Punch reported.

IPOB, a separatist organization based that is demanding a separate nation for the Igbo ethnic group, blamed the federal government for working with perpetrators who were behind the latest attack on security personnel.

"They shouldn't feign ignorance or claim to be surprised because they are working with the perpetrators of that unnecessary attack in order to blackmail IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu," he said.

The spokesperson went on to claim that when IPOB started the separatist agitation in 2012, it was a peaceful campaign "until the Federal Government started sponsoring splinter groups in order to blackmail IPOB and Kanu."

He continued, "Today, the monsters they have spoon-fed are consuming them. We in IPOB for years have been shouting about the evil plan of the Federal Government towards IPOB's peaceful agitation, which is simply demanding for a referendum date for the Biafran people to determine their own fate as Indigenous people."

On the other hand, Federal Minister of Interior of Nigeria, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, condemned the attack on Thursday and vowed to find those unidentified gunmen who killed the security operatives.

Minister Tunji-Ojo shared his condolences on behalf of the government with the families of the officials who lost their lives.

Ajibola Afonja, who serves as the Director of Press in the Ministry of Interior, promised that those officials' families won't be abandoned and thanked the late officers for their "thankless job."

"The loss of our security operatives is a tragedy. It was a dark Tuesday for us as our men died on the cause of duty. And that is why I keep saying our security officers are doing a thankless job," he said.

He added, "On behalf of the ministry, and on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, we will ensure that their memories are not forgotten. We will work tirelessly to investigate this heinous act and bring the perpetrators to justice."

The incident's video circulated on X, formerly known as Twitter, featuring two patrolling vans burning and security operatives' bodies on the ground.