IPOB names outspoken Turkish official, Erkahraman as envoy for Middle East, Asia

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced outspoken Turkish citizen, Mr. Abdulkadir Erkahraman as its official representative on international relations in the Middle East and Asia.

The group described Erkahraman as the current President of International Nations Commercial Association based in Turkey and an adviser to its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Recall that Erkahraman faulted the deployment of soldiers to the South East by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

IPOB, however, alleged that the government had invited him to visit Nigeria and make a television broadcast publicly renouncing his support for Biafra.

In a statement yesterday, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, again lamented that labeling the peaceful group, as terrorist organisation “is an act designed to alienate friends of Biafra from publicly associating with the IPOB movement for self-determination, accusing the Nigerian government of working to isolate the movement for Biafra restoration away from international supporters.”

The group warned that scare tactics will not work because “Erkahraman is a conscientious Muslim who understands what human rights is all about, the need to preserve same and believes that freedom for Biafra supersedes everything else in life, even his own religion.”

“When he visited our leader in his home town Afaraukwu Ibeku Umuahia, their discussions focused exclusively on areas of infrastructural development and how such partnerships can be developed to help alleviate the suffering of the people of Biafra.

“He is not a Turkish diplomat, he has never claimed to be one and our leader did not receive him in such capacity. Those on online news platforms in Nigeria referring to him as a diplomat are deliberately misleading their readers.

“Some of these publishers are nothing more than sponsored agents, in the pay of the Ministry of Information, hoping to tarnish the image of Erkahraman and Biafra”, the group said.

IPOB further called on the government of Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to look critically at the activities of the government of Nigeria.