The Indigenous People of Biafra has announced a ban on Fulani cows in the South-East region with effect from April.
This was contained in a statement released on Tuesday by the media and publicity secretary of the proscribed group, Mr Emma Powerful.
The group advised those in the animal husbandry business in the region to switch over to the native cow without delay.
The statement also quoted Powerful as saying that henceforth, reciting of the Nigeria National Anthem in schools in the region would be stopped.
IPOB, however, did not give any timeline as to when the ban on the National Anthem recitation would take effect.
The statement read in part, “We want every school to start reading the Biafra anthem and soon every school is going to receive copies of the Biafra national anthem, because Biafra is coming and nothing will stop it.
“The 30th of May every year will be celebrated as the independence anniversary day of Biafra and nothing will stop that; Biafrans must obey to this order for our freedom.
“Our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, must be released. Nigeria cannot be releasing bandits and terrorists, but keep freedom seekers behind bars perpetually; it’s an error.”
Powerful, who was silent on the measures to take to enforce compliance, said any school found to be disobeying the order would regret its action.
“We are also warning traitors to stay off our territory, because it won’t be easy for them this time because 2022 will be a hunt down year for them,” he added.
IPOB also denied reports that the Eastern Security Network was involved in the recent killings and kidnapping in the South-East region.
Powerful also said the ESN operatives were not the ones who besieged the palace of Eze Emmanuel Okeke in Amaifeke, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
He said in a separate statement, “It is true that we criticise some traitors among our people, including politicians, traditional rulers, presidents-general and even fake religious leaders. Our condemnation of their unpatriotic actions against Biafra has not got to the level of going after any of them.
“Maybe, very soon, the group of people behind the bloodletting in our land will start going after religious leaders and blame their abominable act on IPOB and the ESN.
“For the umpteenth time, IPOB and the ESN have no hands in the spate of killings and abductions in any part of Biafra land. Such barbarity is not part of our mandate.
“The security agencies and their criminal recruits are behind it in their desperation to demonise IPOB. The recent confession by Senator Rochas Okorocha has vindicated us. Some wicked people in power in collaboration with the security agencies are the masterminds of the insecurity in our land.
“There is a report that the security agents repelled the ESN operatives who allegedly besieged the palace of Eze Emmanuel Eze Okeke of Amaifeke in Orlu LGA Imo State. This is another blatant lie from the pit of hell. IPOB/ESN operatives have no issues with traditional rulers in Biafraland, but the Nigerian Army and the police are trying to create the wrong impression that we are hunting the monarchs.”
He also stated that some governors had started using the Ebubeagu security outfit to kill and burn down property belonging to their political opponents, adding that they must be made to account for the atrocities.
The statement added, “Any state in Biafra territory operating with the Ebubeagu security must consider itself the enemy of the people, because Ebubeagu is now raping our women and claiming it is soldiers from the North. How could the so called Ebubeagu security outfit decide to be raping our mothers and sisters and think they are our people?
“If they are truly Igbo people, they won’t tamper with our ladies for any reason, but they will focus on pursuing terrorist herdsmen terrorising our people in the bushes and forests. But because these bunch of criminals know that they are not Igbo that is why they will do whatever they like to humiliate our women in the name of security.