By Seun Opejobi The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Defence...
By Seun Opejobi
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday urged the
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Defence Headquarters, DHQ, to
dismantle checkpoints across the Southeast because they are used for criminal
activities.
IPOB described checkpoints in the Southeast as “kill and
bury,” adding that they are used for harassing and extorting people of the Southeast.
The spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said Igbos commuters
have been subjected to all manner of humiliation, torture, and forceful
disappearances at the military and police checkpoints in the Southeast,
particularly at the “kill and bury” military checkpoint at Ukwu Orji along
Owerri/Onitsha expressway.
In a statement signed by Powerful, IPOB said the presence of
police and military officers at checkpoints have not stopped kidnapping, armed
robbery, and other criminal activities in the Southeast.
According to Powerful: “The Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) ably led by the great and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu,
raises alarm over the incessant military intimidation, harassment, and
extortion at the “kill and bury” military checkpoint mounted at Ukwu Orji in
Mbaitolu LGA along Owerri/Onitsha expressway.
“The soldiers at this particular checkpoint deliberately
keep all the vehicles that get to the checkpoint at 10 pm to around 12 am until
each vehicle pay them N5,000 before they can be allowed to pass to continue on
their journey. Sometimes, after unnecessary delays and extortions by the
soldiers at this checkpoint, the passengers are attacked and kidnapped on the
way.
“The soldiers and police officers at this checkpoint are
informants to kidnappers. They are professional armed robbers who use guns and
uniforms issued by the Nigerian government to intimidate and force people to
part with their money or be delayed till the next day or even be killed.
Similar incidents happen in all the military, and police checkpoints scattered
all over the South East Region.
“The uncountable number of army and police checkpoints
collect N5,000 or more from each vehicle in the South East Region and make
persons and vehicular movements difficult and expensive. The militarization of
the South East Region is not only an intimidating and oppressive policy of the
Federal Government of Nigeria and her murderous security agencies, but it is
also a plan to occupy Biafra territory.
“The security agencies of Nigeria also contravene UN human
rights commission rules regularly in carrying out their evil plans in Igboland.
The Nigerian government’s economic strangulation policy against Ndigbo can be
felt by all inhabitants of Igbo land. The excessive extortions at these
military and Police checkpoints make the cost of goods and transportation
exorbitant compared to other regions of their country. Holding passengers at
gunpoint from 10 pm to 12 am is against fundamental human rights. All of that
done in order to extort huge amounts of cash from travelers before allowing
them to cross the army or police checkpoint. This shows that the Nigerian
military is part of the criminality going on in Imo State and the entire South
East Region.
“IPOB in the past has raised alarms that the military and
police checkpoints in the East are part of the insecurity of kidnapping and car
snatching gangs’ activities.
“The presence of these soldiers and police officers at
various checkpoints has not reduced insecurity. Instead, the Nigerian soldiers
at the checkpoints are humiliating, intimidating, raping our ladies, extorting
money, and passing information to kidnappers. They are working with the
kidnappers, who deliver shares of ransom collected from kidnapped victims to
them.
“IPOB is calling on the Nigeria Defence Headquarters and the
Chief of Army Staff to withdraw and dismantle the military checkpoints in the
East particularly the checkpoint at Ukwu Orji on Owerri/Onitsha expressway if
they care to maintain their remaining integrity. The Nigerian soldiers deployed
at that checkpoint are part of the insecurity in the South East Region.
“Therefore, IPOB demands that the Nigerian Army and Police
dismantle all the indiscriminately positioned criminal military and police
checkpoints in the South East Region and the South South Region with immediate
effect. We believe that their personnel have turned the checkpoints into
something else. These checkpoints are fueling the anger of the people. The
Nigerian Army and Police in the East must not wait till the people’s anger gets
to boiling point before they allow Ndigbo to breathe. The Nigerian Army should
never underestimate the reactions of angry and wounded persons. Biafra people
and Biafra territory have endured a lot.”
No comments