The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been accused of attacking 164 police stations and killing 175 security operatives across the country.
Naija News reports that the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, made this known at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
Malami stated that a Presidential Ad-hoc Committee which was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate activities of the IPOB came up with the figures.
He noted that 175 security personnel killed comprised of 128 Policemen, 37 military personnel and 10 other security operatives.
The minister alleged that Kanu’s broadcasts fuelled the #EndSARS protests that led to the destruction of public facilities, including the attack on the Oba of Lagos.
He, however, disclosed that information on countries supporting Kanu and the IPOB would be made public in due time.
He said: “While in self-exile, Nnamdi Kanu intensified his subversive campaign, using online Radio Biafra to instigate violence and incite members of IPOB to commit violent attacks against civil and democratic institutions, particularly the security personnel, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civilians.
“He instigated the destruction of public and private properties across the country.
“As a result of these criminal activities, IPOB was proscribed and designated a terrorist organization by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in an Order made on 20th September 2017.
“Despite the proscription of IPOB by the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu continued the subversive campaign, instigating and inciting broadcasts to direct members of the IPOB to launch attacks on government.
“The EndSARS protests of October 2020 played into the sinister plans of Nnamdi Kanu, whereby he seized the protests through subversive and inciting online broadcasts and actively commanded and directed attacks on security personnel and facilities.
“As a result of these broadcasts, members of IPOB attacked and killed security personnel and burnt down Police stations, Correctional centers, INEC offices, bus terminals, the Palace of Oba of Lagos, Banks, hospitals, shopping malls and vehicles, amongst others.
“On 12th December 2020, Eastern Security Network” (ESN) was formed by Nnamdi Kanu as an armed wing of IPOB with the mandate to advance the nefarious agenda of the outlawed group.
“ESN continued to launch attacks on security personnel, civilians perceived as enemies as well as the destruction of private and public properties.
“The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigeria’s National Security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group.
“The Committee finds as a fact, that consequent upon the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, members of IPOB/ESN carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions especially INEC Facilities with a view to hampering democratic process in Nigeria.
“These attacks that were carried out between October 2020 and June 2021 include the following:
“That acting on the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB members and #EndSARS protesters attacked and killed many security agents, destroyed several public and private properties, including Police stations, public transport buses and other facilities across the country.
“That on 21st October 2020, Nnamdi Kanu through an online call-in radio programme (Radio Biafra), further instigated IPOB members to burn down all police stations and kill Government security forces, which was carried out and several Security personnel (especially Police Officers) were killed and public and private properties destroyed.
“One hundred and seventy-five (175) security personnel were killed by IPOB/ESN, comprising one hundred and twenty-eight (128) Policemen, thirty-seven (37) military personnel and ten (10) other security operatives;
“Killing of prominent Nigerians, (recently there were gruesome killings of traditional leaders: Obi 1 of Okwudor autonomous community, Eze E. Anayochukwu Durueburuo and Eze Sampson Osunwa of Ihebineowerre autonomous community as well as the killings of Dr. Chike Akunyili and eight others as well as the killing of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak on 30th May. 2021);
“That as a consequence of Nnamdi Kanu’s broadcasts, there were nineteen (19) attacks on INEC facilities that resulted in the destruction of offices as well as burning of eighteen (18) INEC logistical vehicles, several election materials, equipment and ICT gadgets in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States;
“That one hundred and sixty-four (164) police stations and formations, including Police Headquarters, Owerri, Imo State were attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) policemen {as stated in III above}; one hundred forty-four (144) injured while six hundred twenty-eight (628) vehicles were destroyed.
“That three hundred and ninety-six (396) firearms and seventeen thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight (17,738) ammunition were carted away during the IPOB/ESN attacks;
“That there were three (3) IPOB/ESN attacks on Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), including the Headquarters of NCoS, Owerri, Imo State where one thousand eight hundred and forty-one (1,841) inmates escaped;
“That the Headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Umuahia, Abia State was also attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one (1) officer;
“That there were several IPOB/ESN attacks and destruction (arson) of public and private properties during the EndSARS and Biafra agitations across the country, especially in the South-East and South-South regions, notably the Palace of the Oba of Lagos where twelve (12) flats were completely looted and vandalized, the country home of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was burnt, over one hundred and fifty (150) buses burnt at the Lagos Bus Terminal, Sen. Ndoma Egba’s home in Calabar Municipal, Cross River State, was completely looted and vandalized, Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, City Hall Race Course, First Bank Branch Lagos, Lagos State Public Works Commission, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Marina, Lagos, High Court Igbosere, Lagos, were all burnt, amongst other heinous crimes committed.”
This article was originally published on Naija News