The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, on Friday, said that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) remains proscribed in Nigeria and nobody is expected to belong to the group.
Baba made this statement while speaking with journalists after he was confirmed by the police council in Abuja.
He said, “There are peculiarities, like I said before, in the South-East and South-South is the issue of secessionist agenda championed by IPOB, I also talked about terrorism and religious bigotry in the north-east.”
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“I also talked about the issue of kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and cultism as it affects the north-central and north-west and south-west. I gave a synopsis in terms of what we are doing to address this situation.
“I also thanked Mr President for providing additional logistics in terms of carrying out our duties and responsibilities.
“In collaboration with other security agencies, we try to checkmate other forms of lawlessness, criminality and unlawful agitation in order to ensure lives and property are saved and at the same time allow Nigerian citizens go about their lawful business.
“What is seriously worrisome in the south-east, but it is gradually being checked and results are positive as regards the attacks and killings of security agents and assets belonging to the federal government.
“Our ability to checkmate this lawlessness has improved and we are getting closer to something positive.
“The issue is IPOB is a proscribed organisation and we expect nobody to belong to the IPOB. Thuggery is an offence and anyone will be dealt with according to the law. They are all offenders.
“It’s just like me differentiating between an armed robber and a thug. It’s the level of crime that matters. There is no way we can say this is IPOB or a thug, it all depends on the level of crime.”
The Federal government in 2017 proscribed the secessionist group.