The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) recently raised the alarm over claims that security authorities, in especially the Police, Army, and Department of State Services (DSS), had coerced suspect criminals who had been captured into posing as ESN agents in an effort to tarnish their reputations.
IPoB claimed that such blackmail against it is pointless because it is not a criminal organisation and does not harbour criminals in a statement by its image maker, Emma Powerful, titled "Police, Army, DSS, are forcing criminals they arrested in different parts of South East states to claim ESN operatives."
IPoB used the viral video of the arrest of a suspected notorious criminal who was terrorising the Atta community in Njaba Local Government Area, Imo State, as evidence for its claims against security agencies. The suspect, who gave his name as Okechukwu and claimed to be known as "Buhari," was forced to admit to being a member of the ESN, but he refused, and the security agents who arrested him tried to force him to do so or face consequences.
When one of the security personnel questioning the suspect in the viral video asked him his name, the suspect responded, "My name is Okechukwu, but they call me Buhari, and I'm from Atta in Njaba."
When he was asked how long he has been with ESN, he replied “I’m not a member of ESN” and at that point, some other security officials started saying force him, force him, he will say it…”
According to IPoB, “The arrested suspected criminal in the video is not an ESN member. Information has it that they are three in number, and specializes in robbing people’s cars and tricycles and motorcycles, to go and sell.
“Further information at our disposal revealed that they went for robbery in Amiri community in Oru Local Government Area, and were caught, 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.
“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.”