Part of a statement by Emma Mmezu and Dr. Cliffors Iroanya:
“Yesterday, the DSS announced that IPOB killed five northerners and buried them in a forest near Aba. Again, it is clear for even toddlers to see the game plan here. A government with a predetermined agenda to cloak IPOB in the garment of violent organisation deliberately designed such a cheap propaganda in order to ignite ethnic cleansing. This very cheap blackmail by the DSS is idiotic and unintelligent.
“First, it is not in our character to kill innocent live in cold blood. Second, we assure the DSS and their cohorts that the day we will decide to go violent, the whole world will know, like we did in 1967. Thirdly, five northerners do not make up for 218 IPOB men and women murdered in cold blood between November 2015 and February 2016.
“If we were to declare war, we will begin by killing at least 5,000 people, not just five. Finally, nobody in his/her right senses will take the DSS serious, until they are able to prove how, where, when and why IPOB killed five people and the DSS. The same DSS which could not locate the corpses of over 500 Agatu civilians, suddenly located the five people allegedly IPOB killed.
“The reason the DSS are riding on the intelligence of Nigerians, is probably because, they believe Nigerians are a bunch of idiots who would believe anything. We assure the DSS that their plot to incite blood shed may well come to pass, but when it happens, we will be the first to announce to the world why we finally took up arms. This false accusation by the DSS is a very cheap blackmail, nobody would believe.”
Also, the Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, in a statement signed by its Leader, Chief (Mrs.) Mariah Okwor stated: “IWA condemns in no uncertain terms the clearly false allegation by the DSS that IPOB killed five northerners and buried them in a forest in Aba.
This calculated blackmail is probably plotted to give IPOB a bad name. IPOB has never been and cannot transform into a violent organisation.
“IPOB is a mass movement of millions of eastern youths, who are frustrated and disenchanted with Nigeria as presently structured. Those who came up with this spurious accusation, had better look for a better story to tell.
“The IWA knows that the extra- judicial killing of these unarmed IPOB youths, which could have radicalised them in turning violent, did not achieve that; therefore, we do not believe that the age old brigandage of Fulani herdsmen would now turn IPOB into murderers overnight. Nobody believes the DSS funny story.
Also, reacting to the allegation, the Igbo Youths Movement, IYM, said that it would have ignored the DSS allegations, but for the grave implication it portends.
In a statement signed by the IYM Founder and Secretary of Igbo Leaders of Thought, Evangelist Elliot Uko, the youths, said, “After careful enquiries from IPOB leaders, we stand by their story, that IPOB will never come down low to kill innocent people in cold blood.
“Therefore, the IYM pleads with the DSS to make public the IPOB members who killed this five northerners, the circumstances of their death, venue, date and event that led to their killing. Unless the DSS avails Nigerians with a detailed account, we find it extremely difficult to believe this very strange story.”
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/ipob-igbo-youths-women-fault-dss-claim-killing-northerners/