The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused Nigerian security agencies of forcing arrested suspected criminals to confess membership of the group and its militia wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in an attempt to rope in the group as criminals and rub its name in the mud.
The group which raised the alarm in a statement made available to Ripples Nigeria on Wednesday, alleged that the security agencies, particularly the Police, Army, and the Department of State Services (DSS), were in the habit of torturing suspects and making them to confess that they belong to the ESN.
The statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, and titled, “Police, Army, DSS, are forcing criminals they arrested in different parts of SouthEast states to claim ESN operatives”, claimed that the security agencies resort to blackmailing IPOB was an exercise in futility as such will not deter the group from its mandate of pursuing freedom for Biafra.
Powerful added that the blackmail attempts will “always collapse like a pack of cards because IPOB is not a criminal organization and does not harbor criminals.”
It said,“IPOB has noted that Nigerian security agencies are fond of torturing and forcing arrested criminal suspects to confess to being members of ESN.
“A case on point was that of suspects who were arrested over armed robbery in Amiri community in Oru Local Government Area. One of the suspects escaped but he later escaped to an unknown destination for some time only to return a few days ago to rob people in Atta, Njaba, but was caught.
“The suspect was tortured and forced to confess that he was a member of ESN.
“We therefore wonder why Nigerian security agencies cannot be honest enough to parade their arrested suspected criminals without involving IPoB. We equally wonder what they gain in branding any arrested suspected criminal as IPoB or ESN.
“We want Nigerians and the international community to know that Nigeria’s security agencies are not to be trusted. They are dishonest and telling lies has long become part of their policies. They should not be believed in their parade of criminals,” the statement reads in part.
