Army denies killing IPOB members, warns group

THE Nigerian Army has described as false and malicious the claim by the Indigenous People of Biafra that 11 of its members were killed in Port Harcourt during a protest on January 20, 2017, by soldiers.

The Army warned that it would no longer tolerate spurious and unfounded allegations that were injurious to its image by a group of criminals.

A statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday and signed by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations and spokesman for 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, recalled that soldiers did not fire a single shot when IPOB members smashed commuters’ windscreen during their protest in the Rivers State capital.

The statement partly read, “The attention of 6 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to a baseless and unsubstantiated allegation by one Mr. Emma Powerful who claims to be the Media and Publicity Secretary of a criminal gang that goes by the appellation ‘Indigenous People of Biafra’ in which he claimed through the media that 11 of its members were killed by soldiers on 20th January 2017 in Port Harcourt while conducting a solidarity rally to commemorate the election of Mr. Donald Trump as the President of the United States of America.

“The allegation is false, malicious and existed in the figment of his imagination. We, therefore, wish to warn Mr. Emma Powerful and other like-minded mischief makers that the Nigerian Army will no longer tolerate such spurious and unfounded allegations that are injurious to the hard-earned image and reputation of the Nigerian Army, its selfless and dedicated officers and soldiers by any group of criminals regardless of their appellation.”