Nigeria Police have warned members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) not come closer to the venue of the burial ceremony of father of Nnamdi Kanu in Umuahia, Abia State if the ceremony is to be conducted peacefully.
The burial of the parents of IPOB leader, Nnmadi Kanu is coming up next week, and members of IPOB have indicated that they would participate actively.
Reacting to the IPOB’s plan to attend the burial ceremony, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon said: “I have already reached out to the traditional prime minister of Afaraukwu (Nnamdi Kanu’s community) and told him that if they want the burial to go smoothly and for police to give them security, they should tell IPOB not to near the area not to talk of participating in the burial.
“If they fail to adhere to what we’ve told them, that means they do not want the burial to go on smoothly because we are going to scatter the place.
“IPOB is proscribed by the Federal Government. I, as the Commissioner of Police in Abia cannot sit here and allow any proscribed group to operate anywhere in this state.
“I am saying this again for emphasis that there is no way police will allow a proscribed group to participate in the burial of the King and Queen of Afaraukwu simply because they are the parents of their acclaimed leader: we will not allow that and we cannot take anything for granted in the face of abundant intelligence on threat by IPOB.
“If the burial committee writes to police to provide security during the burial, we will oblige them on the condition that they will guarantee us that IPOB will never, ever be part of the burial, IPOB will never get near there. In fact, that IPOB will never, ever enter Umuahia. That police will not see any Biafra flag, IPOB insignia or IPOB member disguising as Jewish or Zionist Church members.”
The Police Commissioner who spoke with The SUN’s reporter, OKEY SAMPSON in Umuahia, said that since the police would not be able to identify IPOB members, they would be excused to come as ordinary people, not as a group and without Biafra flag or insignia.
“We won’t know them. But if they come as a group, with their Biafra flags and insignia and we identify them that is where the problem will come because as a group, the Federal Government has described them as a terrorist group and proscribed them. And it is within our mandate to maintain law and order and we have to make sure that law and order is maintained.
“By saying they were coming for the burial, they are sending signal to us telling us to be ready for them and we will be ready for them. We’ve told the organizers of the burial, if IPOB members are allowed to participate, we will do everything within our powers to disperse and if in the process the burial is disrupted, police will not be blamed.”
Reacting to the IPOB’s plan to attend the burial ceremony, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon said: “I have already reached out to the traditional prime minister of Afaraukwu (Nnamdi Kanu’s community) and told him that if they want the burial to go smoothly and for police to give them security, they should tell IPOB not to near the area not to talk of participating in the burial.
“If they fail to adhere to what we’ve told them, that means they do not want the burial to go on smoothly because we are going to scatter the place.
“IPOB is proscribed by the Federal Government. I, as the Commissioner of Police in Abia cannot sit here and allow any proscribed group to operate anywhere in this state.
“I am saying this again for emphasis that there is no way police will allow a proscribed group to participate in the burial of the King and Queen of Afaraukwu simply because they are the parents of their acclaimed leader: we will not allow that and we cannot take anything for granted in the face of abundant intelligence on threat by IPOB.
“If the burial committee writes to police to provide security during the burial, we will oblige them on the condition that they will guarantee us that IPOB will never, ever be part of the burial, IPOB will never get near there. In fact, that IPOB will never, ever enter Umuahia. That police will not see any Biafra flag, IPOB insignia or IPOB member disguising as Jewish or Zionist Church members.”
The Police Commissioner who spoke with The SUN’s reporter, OKEY SAMPSON in Umuahia, said that since the police would not be able to identify IPOB members, they would be excused to come as ordinary people, not as a group and without Biafra flag or insignia.
“We won’t know them. But if they come as a group, with their Biafra flags and insignia and we identify them that is where the problem will come because as a group, the Federal Government has described them as a terrorist group and proscribed them. And it is within our mandate to maintain law and order and we have to make sure that law and order is maintained.
“By saying they were coming for the burial, they are sending signal to us telling us to be ready for them and we will be ready for them. We’ve told the organizers of the burial, if IPOB members are allowed to participate, we will do everything within our powers to disperse and if in the process the burial is disrupted, police will not be blamed.”
