By Unini Chioma The Federal Government has said the attacks on government agencies and agents by the Indigenous People of Biafra and...
By Unini Chioma
The Federal Government has said the attacks on government
agencies and agents by the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Eastern Security
Network oppose the call for a political solution to their issue.
IPOB and ESN are separatist groups agitating for the
restoration of the defunct Republic of Biafra.
Their leader, Nnamdi Kanu is currently in the custody of the
Department of State Services after he was arrested in Kenya and brought to
Nigeria to face charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.
Since Kanu’s arrest, concerned Nigerians have urged the
Federal Government to consider a political solution to end IPOB and ESN’s
agitation.
This is said to be in consideration as recently stated by
the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar
Malami, SAN.
However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed, on Monday, said such is being opposed by the continued attacks by
IPOB and ESN on government agencies and agents.
He said this while condemning the killing of two policemen,
warning that those who carried out the killings, videotaped their heinous act
and circulated such will be apprehended and brought to justice.
He described the abduction of three policemen and the
killing of two of them as an unacceptable attack against the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special
Assistant To The President on Media, Segun Adeyemi for the Office of the
Minister of Information and Culture.
Mohammed said, “We have credible information that ASP
Francis Idoko (AP No. 154945); Inspector Emmanuel Akubo (AP No. 222336) and
Inspector Rufai Adamu (AP. No. 285009), all serving officers of the Nigeria
Police, were abducted by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), acting
on the instructions of their leader, Chinonso Okafor, aka TEMPLE, on 27 Nov.
2021.
“Two of the officers, Inspectors Akubo and Adamu, were
killed in the most gruesome manner and their decapitated bodies videotaped and
circulated widely. The leader of the ESN team that killed the two officers is
one ‘GENTLE’.
“Chinonso Okafor, the most influential commander of ESN in
charge of Imo and Anambra states, as well as ‘Gentle’ and all those who
perpetrated the abhorrent act will be made to face swift and sure justice.”
According to the statement, “Alhaji Mohammed said the
targeting and killing of security agents, under any guise, is a direct attack
on the state and will not be tolerated.
“He said the continued attacks on security agents as well as
agencies of government by ESN/IPOB are diametrically opposed to the call in
certain quarters for a political solution to the IPOB issue, and wondered why
those making such calls have yet to condemn the appalling murder of serving
police officers.
“The Minister paid tribute to the officers, who made the
supreme sacrifice in the service of their fatherland, as well as all security
agents who are serving the nation to the best of their ability in a most
difficult moment.
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