Following a threat to avenge the killing of its soldiers in Aba, Abia State, on Thursday by gunmen enforcing a sit-at-home order to commemorate Biafra Day, military authorities have been urged to exercise restraint and follow to acceptable rules of professional engagement in order to avoid punishing the innocent for an offence they have no knowledge of.
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the chief attorney for the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, responded separately. Ejiofor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former deputy governor of Abia State, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, and former Aba South member of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Obinna Ichita, all condemned the death of five soldiers as wicked and inhumane. They urged the military and other security personnel not to seek vengeance in order to prevent future killings.
In a statement issued in Owerri yesterday, Ejiofor distanced the IPOB from the horrible act. He said: "I unequivocally condemn the unprovoked attack on military soldiers at a checkpoint in Aba, Abia State. While we mourn for the peace of the souls of those who died in this horrific crime, which was methodically carried out by the true enemies of Biafra and Biafrans, I encourage all hands to be on deck to ensure that those responsible for this atrocious attack are apprehended.
Unfortunately, the victims of the planned retaliatory attacks and/or arrests by military will be innocent people who know nothing about the incident. While we support a thorough investigation into this heinous crime, we will also urge soldiers and other security agents to exercise extreme caution and adhere to the acceptable rules of professional conduct in order to avoid punishing the innocent for an offence they are unaware of.
Furthermore, it is absurd to ascribe the commission of this heinous act to the IPOB, of which I am the main lawyer, even before an investigation has been done. IPOB has maintained a nonviolent position in its self-determination quest for a Sovereign State of Biafra, and has consistently distanced itself from the actions of criminals purporting to be freedom fighters who have publicly accepted credit for this terrible murder."
