The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has described the Nigerian Army as “cowards” for denying the killing of its members during the recent solidarity rally in honour of the United States President, Donald Trump in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
IPOB had claimed that 11 people were shot dead by men of the Nigerian Army during a Trump solidarity rally in Port Harcourt on January 20, 2017.
But, the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, in a statement by its spokesperson, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, dismissed the claim, saying no shot was fired.
However, spokesperson of IPOB, Emma Powerful, in a statement maintained that its members were killed, stressing that there were evidences to confirm the killings.
Dismissing claims by the Army that IPOB are “criminals,” Emma insisted that members of the group were freedom fighters.
The statement reads, “We are surprised and shocked that after one month of killing our people which has received worldwide condemnation, they are now denying that they did not kill our members or anybody. It is a shame that they are reacting when the world has taken a position against their barbaric action.
“If the army is saying that they only shot or threw tear gas, why did they throw tear gas, are they dealing with animals, what prompted throwing tear gas, was there any break down of law and order that will warrant throwing tea gas on people holding a peaceful rally?
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB is not a criminal group but freedom fighters which the whole world knows. They are not involved in any criminal activities, so the army should bury their head in shame for their cowardly act of killing peaceful people and denying after one month of the barbaric act.
“The army’s denial is to show the world how barbaric they are, how they deny what happened in a broad daylight.The videos of the soldiers shooting our members are available to prove our case.
“Apart of those they killed, so many of our members have bullet wounds that are being treated of. We have bullets shells which the soldiers and police used in killing our members.
”They killed our members and some of them are buried, some are still in the mortuary. They knew what they are doing, maybe they thought the public in the world are fools. There are photos and videos. The Army should stop making jest of themselves in face of the whole world.”
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