Nigeria Military declares IPOB a 'Militant Terrorist Organisation'



The separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is now a “militant terrorist organisation” in Nigeria, military authorities declared yesterday.



The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said in a statement in Abuja that IPOB poses security challenge to the country by clandestinely and actively terrorising the general public.

It listed such acts of terrorism as the formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public access roads and extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.

The DHQ therefore urged parents to dissuade their wards from joining the group.

The Director, Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. John Enenche, who signed the statement, spoke of the determination of the Armed Forces to confront “all security challenges facing the country.”

Enenche also pledged the continued protection of lives and property in all parts of the country by the military.

He said: “After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient to notify the general public that the claim by IPOB actors that the organisation is non-violent is not true.

“Hence, the need to bring to public awareness the true and current state of IPOB.

“In this regard, some of their actions, clandestinely and actively, that have been terrorising the general public include: the formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public access roads and extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.

“Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles, among others) on a military patrol on Sept. 10, 2017.



“Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a checkpoint on Sept. 11, 2017 and also attempt to snatch their rifles.

”Attack by IPOB members on a military checkpoint on Sept. 12, 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.

“From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wish to confirm to the general public that IPOB, from all intent, plan and purpose as analysed, is a militant terrorist organisation.”

The Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB was previously a relatively passive organisation.

In the last one year, however, it has become confrontational with the authorities, demanding the creation of an independent state of Biafra.

It is also threatening to make the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State impossible.

Kanu opted out of a peace meeting with South-East governors on the demands of his group scheduled for yesterday.

The army, earlier in the week, deployed soldiers to the Southeast for “Operation Python Dance II” aimed at getting them ready for battle.

The international community remains divided over a universally acceptable definition of terrorism, leaving individual countries, regional and international organisations to adopt a patchwork of approaches.

Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 defines ”act of terrorism” as an act which is deliberately done with malice, aforethought and which:

(a) may seriously harm or damage a country or an international organization;

(b) is intended or can reasonably be regarded as having been intended to—

(i) unduly compel a government or international organisation to perform or abstain from performing any act;

(ii) seriously intimidate a population;

(iii) seriously destabilise or destroy the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organisation; or

(iv) otherwise influence such government or international organisation by intimidation or coercion; and

(c) involves or causes, as the case may be—

(i) an attack upon a person’s life which may cause serious bodily harm or death;

(ii) kidnapping of a person;

(iii) destruction to a government or public facility, a transport system, an infrastructure facility, including an information system, a fixed platform located on the continental shelf, a public place or private property, likely to endanger human life or result in major economic loss;

(iv) the seizure of an aircraft, ship or other means of public or goods transport and diversion or the use of such means of transportation for any of the purposes in paragraph (b)(iv) of this subsection ; *

(v) the manufacture, possession, acquisition, transport, supply or use of weapons, explosives or of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, as well as research into, and development of biological and chemical weapons without lawful authority;

(vi) the release of dangerous substance or causing of fire, explosions or floods, the effect of which is to endanger human life;

(vii) interference with or disruption of the supply of water, power or any other fundamental natural resource, the effect of which is to endanger human life;

(d) an act or omission in or outside Nigeria which constitutes an office within the scope of a counter terrorism protocols and conventions duly ratified by Nigeria.

(3) an act which disrupts a service but is committed in pursuance of a protest. However, demonstration or stoppage of work is not a terrorist act within the meaning of this definition provided that the act is not intended to result in any harm referred to in subsection (2) (b)(i), (ii) or (iv) of this section.
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  1. How can you people declared unarmed citizens terrorist? Terrorist lives in the north still you guys are looking for innocent people to call terrorist in order to stop the agitations,chai mgbidi Jericho gaa adariri.

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  2. Now change to another name. The way God delivered the Israelite, that is the way HE will deliver us from both the governors and federal government.

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  3. Nigerian military is composed of illiterate people. Which is why they call IPOB terrorists.

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  4. Ipob burnt police station at arairia market in Aba, they burnt two police varns in port Harcourt and killed two policemen and take away their rifles they also burnt down commissioner of police house Ummuahia Abia state apart from attacked that took place on Hausa community in Rivers state. How do you call this act???

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    1. Not only a surmisal but a barbaric insinuations from a mentally deranged animal of lowest level. Northerners can never cease to be unreasonable bigots they always are.

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    2. I don't usually reply your comments. However, Fulani herdsmen who carry ak47 are not terrorists abi

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    3. See how you are disgracing urself with ur level of ignorance and illiteracy.... aboki na aboki even in London Sha!

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  5. Yes! The useless IPOB is a terrorist and a shameful organization. They should be dealt with severely.👊👊

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    1. When a Yoruba man speaks, you will know....just belongs no where and always a double face... voice of a frustrated Yoruba man!

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  6. another way of reducing our population,bokoharam North east, ipob southeast, Fulani herdsmen Vs indigines southwest, North Central and northwest what a pity!!!! 😊

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  7. The should also declare APC lead administration by PMB a Terrorist administration.Was this the oat of office he took on may 29th,2015 to protect its citizen. I quot,I belong to every body and i belong to no body. Now he only belong to the North. When Arewa group gave Igbo a quit notice to vacate the north,IGP declared their arrest,which was a hullabaloo play,we have witness a lot of killings of Christians in the owl of Nigeria in the past 2years and no army was deployed to go and save the situation. Nigeria is falling

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  8. Ignorance is the brain child of what is happening in ibo land. The elders have so soon forgotten the travails of the civil war, and, does not have a rethink of another civil war obvious. The youths who knew no war, regards what they've heard or read about the last civil war as a fairy tale or, some school of thoughts may have it, that, war can broke out and end in one month, or, perhaps they can, in matter of days wrapped it all.

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