IPOB leader petitions UN, US, Russia over army invasion

dimeji akinloye

September 16, 2017 12:29 PM

In the petition, Kanu alleged that the Nigerian soldiers are intimidating, torturing, abducting, and killing Igbo people.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra,

Kanu addressed the petition to the United Nations, the European Union, the Presidents of the United States, Russia, and Israel.

In the petition dated September 14, the IPOB leader alleged that the Nigerian soldiers are intimidating, torturing, abducting, and killing Igbo people.

He said the humiliation of his people would not stop if the international community does not intervene quickly.

"Unarmed civilians largely made up members of the Indigenous People of Biafra are now being tortured and murdered in cold blood on a daily basis," the petition which was signed by Kanu's lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, read in part.

"We have no doubt that the undisclosed reason for deploying troops in South-Eastern states by the President (Muhammadu) Buhari-led administration is to attack unarmed and defenseless members of the Indigenous People of Biafra who are merely exercising their constitutional guaranteed rights to self-determination.

"The situation in the South-East of Nigeria is serious and demands your urgent action Sir.

"The modus operandi of the Operation Python Dance II presently adopted by the military deployed in the South-East offends all known rules of professional engagement even in a war zone."

A combined team of the Nigerian Army, the Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) had reportedly raided Kanu's house on Thursday, September 14.

According to IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, whereabouts of Kanu, his parents and his siblings could not be ascertained after the invasion.

The Thursday's incident was the second alleged attack on Kanu's house as soldiers earlier in the week allegedly opened fire on the residence, leaving some IPOB members dead, and others injured.

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The army has since denied the first purported attack on Kanu's house, saying a group of IPOB members blocked the road against troops of 145 Battalion while on a show of force along FMC-Word Bank Road in Umuahia town, Abia State.

The army further said the IPOB members insisted that the military vehicles would not pass and started pelting the soldiers with stones and broken bottles to the point of injuring an innocent female passerby and a soldier, Corporal Kolawole Mathew.

This, the army said, made the soldiers fire warning shots in the air to disperse the 'hoodlums'.

The military insisted that no life was lost in the incident.

dimeji akinloye