#endsars Protest: IPOB Denies Involvement In Ebonyi Rifle-Snatching


The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPO has denied involvement in alleged snatching of guns in Ebonyi State. It described the allegation by the Ebonyi State Police Command that its members snatched two AK-47 from Area Commander as unfounded and a total falsehood.

Checks by Orient Weekend reveals that a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Wednesday remanded four persons for their alleged involvement in the attack on the acting area commander of the Ohaukwu police command and snatching rifles of police constables in the community.


The suspects, Okochukwu Onwe, Onyedikachi Onwe, Chinonso Agbo, and Alieze Uchenna, allegedly snatched two police rifles during the attack after a security meeting at the Ohaukwu council headquarters, Ezzamgbo.

They were later arrested by police operatives in conjunction with vigilante members and had long been cooling off at the headquarters of the Ebonyi State Police Command, Abakaliki, until their arraignment on Wednesday.

“The hoodlums disguised as if they wanted to make a complaint to the area commander and used the opportunity to gain access to him. They attacked him, collected his gun and fled the scene,” a source said.

The police had claimed that the suspects were members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The suspects were arraigned on Wednesday on five counts of armed robbery, felony and attempt to commit murder. The police prosecutor, Inspector Chinedu Mbam, told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 516A (a); 320 (a); 402 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2010. Their defense counsel, F.M. Nwebo, applied to the court to grant them bail.

But Mbam opposed the application on the grounds that the victims’ were still laying critically ill at the hospital.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B.I. Chukwu, said that the court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter and directed that the suspects be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, and their case file forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for necessary decision.



Reacting to the development, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said the allegation that the suspects were members of the pro-Biafra group was another fabrication by the police to disrepute the pro-Biafran body.

“The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPO ably led by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to state clearly that we know nothing about the alleged snatching of guns in Ebonyi State. The allegation by the Ebonyi State Police Commissioner that our members snatched two AK-47 from Area Commander is unfounded and a total falsehood.

“This is another fabrication by the police in their usual characteristics of propaganda and blackmail to disrepute IPOB. We dissociate from the alleged attack as we knew nothing about it.

“We have always made it known that our philosophy for Biafra actualization is nonviolent, but any day we want to change that approach we shall make it known. If we want to go into arms struggle we know where to go and source for arms. We won’t defend Biafra with stolen guns from the Nigeria Police. So, linking IPOB with stolen guns in Ebonyi cannot fly. It’s a blatant lie.

The group also accused police of orchestrated harassment and intimidation of its members and Ebonyi indigenes since the beginning of the ongoing #endsars protest, warning that such acts should stop.

“We, therefore call on the Police hierarchy in Ebonyi state as well as Gov. Dave Umahi, to immediately halt all the harassment and intimidation of our members and Ebonyi indigenes since the beginning of the ongoing #endsars protest. The security agents have been abducting the youths and tagging them armed robbers.

“We are particularly upset by the recent arrest of innocent and Peaceful IPOB members and tagging them armed robbers by Dave Umahi and Police Commissioner in Ebonyi state.

“IPOB members are not armed robbers and do not indulge in arms struggle right from inception. On Friday of October 2020, the Nigeria Police and Ngbo Central Security Vigilante arrested Mazi Alieze Uchenna, Mazi Agbo Chinonso, Mazi Onwe Okechukwu and Onwe Onyekachi and forced them to admit to allegations of being robbers. They were subsequently charged for robbery. “This continued illegal abduction and kidnapping of innocent people in our land must stop. The Nigeria government and her security operatives should stop testing our will.

“We therefore, call on Ebonyi State Governor Eng.Dave Umahi and his counterparts in the South East and South South to release Biafra agitators arrested in their respective states without hesitation.

“We also call on the UK high Commission in Nigeria, Amnesty International in Nigeria, UK, US Embassy in Abuja, UNDP in Nigeria and other countries high commissions and embassies in Nigeria to prevail on Nigeria Government and these governors to release our people abducted illegally before it becomes too late.”

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