The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has promised to retaliate any attack targeted at Nigerians of Igbo extraction during the forthcoming general election.
IPOB said this in reaction to an audio clip being circulated on social media in which the secretary of a local council in Lagos threatened that anybody that votes against the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not be allowed to do business.
The spokesman of the Lagos Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said that the threat was erroneously attributed to a traditional ruler.
IPOB’s reaction is contained in a Wednesday statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful.
“The attention of IPOB under the leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to a threat from a monarch in Yoruba Land to the effect that they will deal with non-indigenes who don’t vote in the upcoming elections according to the wish of the monarch.
“While we Biafrans await a date for a referendum, nobody should threaten Ndigbo and Biafrans residing temporarily in other parts of Nigeria for any reason.
“IPOB want to state unequivocally that any attack in any part of Nigeria on the Igbo people or their properties on account of the choice of individuals to participate and vote according to their conviction during this election will be met with adequate and commensurate action,” the group said.
The group added, “We urge men and women of good conscience in the North and West to caution their traditional rulers and politicians who want to use Ndigbo and Biafrans as scapegoats in this election process to be very careful and retrace their steps.”
According to IPOB, “Any Biafran who wants to vote in these elections has the right to vote for any party or candidate of his/her choice, and nobody should direct or threaten them to vote a particular party in their community or state.”