By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced Chika Edoziem as its new leader in acting capacity.
IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, announced this on Sunday, stating that Edoziem would be acting pending until its substantive leader, Nnamdo Kanu, who is currently in detention in the Department of State Services facility in Abuja, regains his freedom.
Kanu was arrested in Kenya by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government and moved to Nigeria over a year ago.
Announcing Edoziem as the interim leader of the secessionist group on Sunday, IPOB denied of forming any government in exile.
It asked the public to disregard such information, describing it as fake news being propagated by dissidents.
He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (DOS) headed by Mazi Chika Edoziem is at the helm of affairs of the Biafra movement whenever our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu comes out, he hands over IPOB structure back to him.
“The DOS gives letters to our people for asylum and every Government of the world accepts it and grants asylum to such asylum seekers and they communicate IPOB. There is no other Government more than that.
The group maintained that IPOB had legitimate and well established Institutions and well-structured administrative hierarchy that oversees the day- to-day running of its affairs.
It claimed that all diplomatic missions and countries of the world know about the Biafra agitation and had been communicating with IPOB.
The group said it knew that many Infiltrators sponsored by some unfortunate politicians were fighting strongly to sell Biafra freedom through ” a fallen angel” hiding in Finland.
It added that the dissident had run out of gimmicks to stay afloat, hence, he decided to resort to the latest claims of a purported ‘Government In Exile (GIE) gimmick’ to deceive gullible followers.
The group’s statement partly read, “We the global movement and noble family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wish to reiterate once again to Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom across the globe that IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu has not set up any Government In Exile (GIE).
“We, therefore, dissociate ourself completely from the purported Government in Exile…”