The Labour Party (LP) campaign site in Enugu, Enugu State, was attacked on Sunday, although the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have denied any involvement.
The organisation claimed that the perpetrators of the attack were supported by members of the DSS and Army, as well as the Nigerian government and security agencies.
Four or five gunmen attacked party members who were conducting a meeting in the Awgu Community, Awgu Local Government Area.
However, IPOB said in a statement released by its media and publicity secretary Emma Powerful that it had no involvement in the illegal activity and reiterated that its members had continued to be nonviolent and concentrated on securing a date for the referendum.
It forewarned that its volunteers and Eastern Security Network (ESN) agents would soon turn on those recruited for such impersonation and demonization.
"We condemn those who utilised the IPOB and Biafra insignias in what we knew to be a state-sponsored attack on the Labour Party campaign ground in Enugu State to blackmail IPOB," the statement's opening line reads.
“IPOB under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never instructed anyone to threaten or attack election campaign ground. If IPOB wish to do so we will make it open and Nigeria Government and its Security Agencies will hear the sound.
“Anybody or crimial groups hired for such impersonation and demonization will soon incure the wraths of IPOB volunteers and ESN operatives.
“Our intelligence unit the M.Branch intercepted the secret arrangements where some few fulani soldiers and terrorists in Nigeria Security Agencies especially DSS and Military planned to hire some criminals to attack campaign grounds to incriminate IPOB and ESN in the East with Biafra flags and insignias and tag it on ESN members we did not attack campaign ground.
“In doing so, they forgot that IPOB and ESN will not in any way desecrate the hallowed Biafra flag in the name of political attacks. Nigeria Security Agencies keep desecrating Biafra flags any time they are carrying out their cheap and dirty blackmail against IPOB.
“Some time last year in Anambra State, Nigeria compromised DSS arranged some holigans and their men who stupidly displayed Biafra flags when they attacked and robbed some banks at Building Material Market in Ogbunike Anambra State to demonise IPOB.
“But they don’t know that IPOB is seven steps ahead of them. Any time they arrest any criminal they quickly go to the vault and dole out Biafra flags they have printed waiting for their blackmail. The more they do this childish blackmail against IPOB the world knew them and they display their stupidity to the global world.
“One wonders what kind of thieves will rob a person and leave their house address with their victims. That’s how daft Nigeria Government can be by sponsoring criminals to display Biafra flags and insignias.
“IPOB has made it known to the public severally that we are not interested in the jamboree selection process they called Nigeria election. Anybody linking IPOB in whatever way to this their jamboree is deluded.
“IPOB is very sure that it was Nigeria Government and her compromised Security Agencies particularly DSS and Army Personnels that sponsored some of their men with some criminal gangs they created to attack Labour Party campaign ground and made it look like IPOB volunteers and ESN operatives attack them, we are not involved.
“We are telling the public that IPOB has no hands on this criminal activities because IPOB don’t care what happens with demonized Nigeria politics. The Nigeria Army, DSS agents must leave IPOB alone and focus on their jamboree jobs they are doing without protecting their citizens in Nigeria.
“IPOB is not a problem but a solution to free trapped talents and Indigenous from terrorists infested country called Nigeria. IPOB members are peaceful and focused on how to secure referendum date same day they do their selection process called Nigeria election.
“IPOB is not planning only to scattering Nigeria, because we have scattered Nigeria already. What remains of Nigeria is total disintegration, every trapped Indigenous People will be free. And that we must do in due cause so long as Chukwu Okike Abiama is backing this noble family and Biafra Movement.”