Community stakeholders of the Umuneke-Nta in Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo state, yesterday berated the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for alleging that the late Ikonso’s second in command of the IPOB/Eastern Security Network, ESN, Anwurum Eze, popularly known as Maputo, had an issue with their monarch before Maputo was arrested in Aba, Abia state.
It was gathered from Umuneke-Nta, that concerned stakeholders were seen angrily discussing the matter in their area.
As part of their measure to put the record straight, they have started to mobilize their people within and outside to vehemently dissociate the community, monarch from any attempt to criminalize them in any form before any authority by IPOB.
It should be recalled that trouble started when the spokesperson of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said while reacting to the arrest of Maputo, saying: “Our background check revealed that the said man had issues with his traditional ruler who gave his contact to the security agents alleging that he belongs to ESN. He is not our own.
But this statement did not go down well with stakeholders of the community over IPOB’s statement which has continued to anger members of the community who felt that IPOB, had a hidden agenda for linking their monarch to Maputo’s issues with the security operatives.
One of them who spoke to Vanguard pleaded not to mention his name for security reasons said: “We will soon come out with a position where our brothers and sister not just in the community will sign. We are gathering everybody. Nobody will succeed in criminalising us. Our traditional ruler has no issue with the said IPOB commander.
“We are angry with this kind of statement from IPOB, an organization that supposed to do their groundwork well before issuing any statement. We have seen everything if anybody or IPOB is against our monarch let them let us know and we will not allow them to succeed.
“Our community is peaceful and calm everybody doing their business. But with this kind of statement from IPOB, just cause disaffection and fears. But with unity will defeat those behind this and will continue to prevail,” he said.
VANGUARD
