P/Harcourt rally: IPOB demands bodies of killed members

— 22nd January 2017

From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha

THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called for the release of bodies of its members killed at Igweocha, Port Harcourt, during its solidarity rally in support of U. S. President, Donald Trump during his inauguration last Friday.

  The group had alleged that security agents killed 11 of its members, injured 27 and arrested 57 others during the rally.

  A statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, called for the release of the bodies of the dead, and  urged the family of any missing member to forward his/her name to its secretariat in Victoria, Spain and to Biafraland Deputy National Coordinator.

According to Powerful, “our lawyers are in Igweocha working tirelessly to locate and effect the release of those taken to Bori Camp at Rumuola, State CID Port Harcourt and SOS Police Station Miniokoro off Old Aba Road.”   

He added: “Once again, we advise that names of any missing member should be forwarded to the office of Directorate of State (DOS) in Victoria Spain, Radio Biafra London Studios or Biafraland Deputy National Coordinator for proper assessment and documentation.   

“IPOB and its leadership worldwide wish to use this medium to correct all people around the world especially media companies across the globe that what IPOB did on Friday, January 20, 2017 in Igweocha, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was a peaceful rally in solidarity with the newly inaugurated President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J Trump, who took oath of office in Washington D.C.

  “This solidarity rally in support of Trump was announced by IPOB Worldwide on January 16, 2017 by our media team and the contents of that announcement was unambiguous and could not conceivably be misunderstood or misrepresented to mean protest as has been erroneously reported by certain sections of the media.

  “We would also like to place it on record that IPOB Worldwide has confirmed that more than 11 Biafrans died as a result of the unprovoked, brutal and unwarranted military assault on our members during this peaceful rally.

Many more are in hospitals receiving treatment.”