IPOB Dares Soludo, Accuses Him of Secretly Eliminating Members

*Gov Seeks Help From FG, Development Partners To Tackle Erosion

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, of secretly setting up Ebubeagu militia to eliminate their members.

IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, stated this in a press release in Awka, Anambra State, where he dared Soludo, and promised to confront his militia, using the militant wing of their Organisaion, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

“We have been drawn to the reckless and unjustifiable murder of innocent citizens of Biafra in Anambra State by the secret militia and Ebubeagu security outfit created in Anambra State by Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

“IPOB wants to bring to the knowledge of Biafrans the criminal activities of Soludo’s militia and Ebubeagu security outfit in Anambra State. Soludo had secretly set up the Ebubeagu security outfit simply to begin a covert elimination of IPOB members. Now, it is clear that the governor wants to turn the peaceful state of Anambra into flame.

“Soludo must be held responsible for whatever happens in Anambra State going forward if he continues to use his Ebubeagu militia to be profiling Biafrans and eliminating them because they have paintings or tattoo on their body.”

The group said the secret killing of its members were pronounced in Nnewi, Idemili South and North, including other important towns and communities in the state.

It advised, therefore, Soludo to take a cue from what was happening in other South Eastern states, where the governors defied IPOB’s warnings, citing Imo and Ebonyi States in particular.

Powerful said ESN has been put on alert about happenings in Anambra State, where he claimed that several members of IPOB had been either killed, abducted or arrested.

Meanwhile, Soludo has called on the federal government and other development partners to come to the rescue of his state, saying between 30% to 40% of the state land mass was currently threatened by erosion and other ecological problems.

The governor, who sent out the appeal yesterday while speaking to newsmen after meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja, noted that erosion had become a matter of emergency in his state.

According to him, the state’s entire budget for ten consecutive years would not be sufficient to remedy the situation, adding that, only an urgent intervention from the federal government and other development partner could save the situation.

He, however, disclosed that the state government had already commenced steps towards introducing better environmental awareness among the people, targeted at limiting factors that worsen the erosion problem.

His words: “The environment is our number one existential threat, other than security, and Anambra is the erosion capital of Nigeria. Perhaps, you might know that about 30% to 40% of our land is under threat of erosion, there’s no other state like Anambra, when it comes to erosion. Even last week, somewhere between Ezinhifite/Osumenyin Road was cut off again and several … Huge gullies everywhere; Obosi, Oko, Nanka, Aguolo, everywhere, there’s erosion menace.

“Like I said, while our landmass is shrinking massively due to erosion and so on, it’s far, far beyond the capacity of a state government to deal with. Even if you were to sink the entire budget of the state into dealing with the gully erosion in the state, even if you were to sink all of them for the next ten years, it will still be like a drop in the ocean.

“This is an area where the state government wishes to partner effectively with the federal government and the development partners to deal with that. It is a state of emergency, with regards to erosion. And of course, we’re also promoting this concept of responsible citizenship on the part of our people, to be able to take some responsible steps.

“We are providing some regulations; people controlling the runoff water from their homes, they don’t just pipe them and get them off on the streets. Of course, they must go somewhere, contain it within you your place. Building controls; it will designate drain versus buildable areas, and so on and so forth.”