Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State has described the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group even when the seccessionist movement is yet to take a life of any individual.
Mr Wike who stated this in his state-wide broadcast Wednesday evening proscribed the Nnamdi Kanu’s led movement.
Mr Kanu, a fugitive being tried for treasonable felony, had his group proscribed in 2017 over rising demands for the return of the defunct Biafra republic.
The proscription had the backing of South-East governors whose chairman, David Umahi, said the move was to douse the rising escalation of tension in the geo-political zone.
A similar demand by the late Odumegwu Ojukwu led to the 1967-1970 civil war which millions of lives and properties were lost with casualty majorly on the side of the Igbo predominantly area.
The Rivers helmsman during his broadcast said while the Government acknowledges and appreciate the enormous contributions from non-indigenes to the political, social, and economic development of the State, it will neither accept nor allow any individual or group from within and outside to violate the peace, endanger lives and property under any guise in the State.
“And so, let it be understood that we have nothing against all or any specific tribe and will continue to live in peace with people of all other tribal extractions residing or doing business in Rivers State,” Wike said.
“But we have everything against the presence and activities of the legally proscribed and anarchic Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and whatever that group stands for in Rivers State.
“This is clearly a terrorist group whose existence, creed, mission and activities are strongly denounced even by the Government and peoples of South-Eastern States of the country. I have therefore signed the executive order to reinforce the total ban on IPOB and its activities in Rivers State or any part thereof and nothing will stop us from enforcing this ban in its entirety,” he added.
