Biafra Liberation Army Claims To Have Taken Over Imo State
A post on ‘X’ by Simon Ekpa, who claims to be the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) since Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, has sparked controversy and fear among Nigerians.
The post, which was accompanied by a video, showed armed men in military uniforms patrolling Eke Market in Imo State, allegedly belonging to the Biafra Liberation Army (BLA), a militant wing of IPOB.
Ekpa claimed that the BLA had engaged in a fierce battle with the Nigerian Army, which he described as a terrorist organisation, and had neutralised many of them.
He also claimed that the BLA had taken control of Imo State and was determined to take back their territory, block by block, village by village, town by town, city by city, state by state, until the declaration of Biafra.
He said that everyone was at peace with the BLA and that they were protecting the communities and towns from the Nigerian government.
However, the Nigerian Army has dismissed the claims of the BLA as false and misleading, saying that they were only propaganda to incite violence and create panic among the people.
The Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said that the video was an old one, recorded in 2017 and that the BLA had no presence or influence in Imo State or any other part of the country.
He said that the Army was in full control of the security situation in Imo State and had been conducting operations to flush out criminals and secessionists from the state.
He urged the public to disregard the claims of the BLA and to report any suspicious activities to the security agencies.
He also warned the BLA and other groups to desist from spreading false information and inciting violence, saying that the Army would not tolerate any threat to the sovereignty and unity of Nigeria.
