News

Why Army Is Linking Us To Soldiers’ Killing – IPOB

Published

3 years ago

October 16, 2022

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Sunday, denied responsibility for the recent murder of soldiers and security operatives in Anambra State.

IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, accused the Nigerian Army of linking the group to the murder of soldiers and security agents due to hatred for the Igbo people and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s Biafra agitation.

Powerful urged the Nigerian Army to desist from spreading propaganda and blackmailing IPOB.

Reacting to a viral video of soldiers linking IPOB to the alleged murder of security agents in Enugu and Anambra States, Powerful stressed that the separatist group is a peaceful movement.

A statement by Powerful reads: “In view of the recent alleged murder of four Nigeria soldiers in Enugu State, as well as those in Anambra State which were accompanied by the most reckless and senseless accusations against IPOB as being behind the attacks, it has become very imperative to caution the Nigerian Arny and govt to desist from such unfounded and false accusations against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). One of such irresponsible and false accusation is contained in a viral video from Nigerian Army personnel who was heard openly mentioning IPOB by name in the said video trending online.

“It is a common phenomenon that Nigeria Government and their Security Agencies are quick to point accusing fingers at IPOB within minutes of any attack in the East without investigation. Surprisingly, they haven’t linked IPOB to the insecurity ravaging Northern Nigeria. We understand that these are part of their cheap blackmail against the movement, even when the State mastermind most of these attacks. If the Government is not behind the attacks how come they know the attackers within minutes without investigation? How come they cannot predict the many unresolved murder cases in Nigeria?

“We, the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of the liberator Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU condemn the reckless murder of Nigeria soldiers but at the same time caution the Nigeria Army to stop accusing IPOB members falsely. We are not responsible for the attacks and killings.

“Nigeria Army and their Government are only carrying out propaganda and blackmail against IPOB in an effort to stop the Biafra agitation, but they will fail. Nigeria Government and their Court know that IPOB is not involved in the killings and attacks on Security Agents and its Institutions. That is why no Court in Nigeria has been able to convict any of the prosecuted IPOB members. Yet the Nigeria Government has continued arresting, persecuting, and extrajudicially executing IPOB members while unconditionally releasing and compensating Northern terrorists and bandits.

“We have remained a peaceful movement seeking for freedom and Independence of the Biafra people in spite of all the persecutions and provocations at the hand of the Nigeria State. But we shall not take any blackmail from the Government just because they hate our resolve to get Biafra at all cost but most importantly through peaceful agitation.

“The Nigerian Army must stop linking IPOB with the killing of their men because of their evil agenda and hatred against Ndigbo and Biafra agitation championed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB members.

“By tagging every Igbo man and woman as IPOB and ESN members, the Nigerian govt and its security apparatus have created the enabling ground to justify their ongoing extrajudicial executions of Igbo people which simply amount to ethnic cleansing. Moreso, their decision to make some of their soldiers on duty in Biafra land expendables to achieve their evil plan and justify their military siege and assault to the unarmed people is a State-sponsored terrorism. The more the Nigerian terrorist-sponsoring Government and their compromised Army try hard to blackmail IPOB, the more they rub their integrity in the mud.

“The viral video of the Nigeria Army personnel openly accusing IPOB of being responsible for the death of four of their men in Enugu State recently is nothing but a cheap blackmail. We demand an International and independent investigation on all the killings going on in Biafraland so as to unmask the killers and their sponsors.”

News

Bandits Abduct Kebbi Deputy Speaker

Published

3 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Samaila Bambu, has reportedly been abducted by bandits suspected to be Lakurawa terrorists.

According to a resident familiar with the incident, Bambu was abducted on Friday evening in his hometown, Bagudo, in Bagudu Local Government Area of the state.

Confirming the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said he had just received the information when contacted by The PUNCH.

News

JAMB Flags 2,658 Admissions As Illegal

Published

3 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has flagged a total of 2,658 admissions conducted during the 2024/2025 academic session as illegal.

The illegal admissions were flagged from a total of 17 universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, according to a breakdown of institutional analysis conducted by the board, which was obtained by our correspondent on Friday in Abuja.

This is as public universities ended the admission processes for the 2025/2026 academic session on Friday.

According to the data, the affected institutions with illegal admissions are: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (1,847); Osun State University (492); Abubakar Tafari Ali Polytechnic (148); Federal College of Animal and Health Production (66); University of Calabar (28); College of Education, Oro (12); Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (12); Redeemer’s University (five); Pan-Atlantic University (five); Nigerian Army College of Education (two); Kwara State Polytechnic (one); and Best Solution Polytechnic (one), among others.

JAMB categorises admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System, popularly known as CAPS, as illegal.

Over the years, the board has issued directives to institutions and candidates on the dangers of issuing and accepting admissions outside CAPS.

During the 2025 policy meeting organised by the board, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, warned that severe sanctions, including withdrawal of assets and punishment of officials, would be meted out to institutions involved in illegal admission racketeering.

CAPS, introduced in 2017, is being implemented to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit-based admissions, according to JAMB.

Candidates can track admission offers, accept or reject admissions, and verify their statuses.

Students who accept admissions outside CAPS risk ineligibility for the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme.

News

Gombe Wins Northeast Quiz Competition On Legislature, Democracy

Published

1 day ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Gombe State has emerged as the winner at the 2025 North East Zonal Quiz Competition on legislature and democracy organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) for senior secondary schools across Northeast on Friday.

Speaking before the commencement of the 2025 edition of the zonal debate which focuses on the legislature, democracy and governance, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the exercise was to deepen the knowledge of legislative and democratic governance among secondary school students and youth.

According to him, it was also to broaden their knowledge on the history, practice and procedure of the legislature and encourage deeper understanding of civic and democratic governance.

The competition, he added, would stimulate the interest of the young students in politics and make them more proactive in matters relating to the legislature and democracy.

He explained that enhancing the knowledge of young Nigerians in the legislature would not only foster an inclusive and participatory legislature in Nigeria but would also serve as an avenue for citizen engagement in the legislative process.

Represented by Mr Jeremiah Agada, NILDS Northeast Zonal Quiz Coordinator, Sulaiman added that the quiz competition would take place in all the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“It is also to inspire young Nigerians to cultivate the interest to participate in legislative governance.

“This 10th edition of the competition is therefore the fourth time the competition has been held at the national level.

“As the 2025 NILDS Zonal quiz competition is declared open, I therefore urge all competing students and their teachers to abide by the rules of the game so that the desired objectives of the competition are achieved,” he said.

Also speaking, the Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Muhammed Lawal, said the exercise was a welcome development in the circle of education, adding that it was a ground where students in the zone could be tested among other students in the country.

“This will enable us to improve the quality of our delivery in our various schools to our teeming students across the zone.

“I want them to take it upon themselves that in an engagement like this, there is no loser. You put in your best, and if at the end of the day, you don’t make it up to the top, your efforts will be crowned.

“I hope this will be well covered because it will stimulate other schools to be part of and perform better so that they can come up to this level as well,” he said.

Mohammed appreciated the commitment of teachers and moderators who coached the students to fully participate in the competition and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to revamping the education sector under Gov. Bala Mohammad’s leadership.

Announcing the winner of the competition, the Quiz Master Mr. Lucky Tongs, announced Gombe State as the overall winner of the debate with 75 points

He also announced Taraba State as the first runner up with 55 points and Yobe State as the third position with 50 points, adding that the winner is expected to represent the Northeast sub-region at the National competition in Abuja.

Other states that participated in the competition included Adamawa and Bauchi.