IPOB alleged that Akintoye was a paid agent who had been working with enemies of Kanu
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared the leader of the Yoruba self-determination movement, Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, the enemy of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafran struggle.
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Tuesday said that Prof. Akintoye during his interview with the BBC referred to Kanu as a noise maker; meanwhile, he showered praises on Kanu’s Yoruba counterpart, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
IPOB alleged that Akintoye was a paid agent who had been working with enemies of Kanu including Tony Nnadi and Simon Ekperima (Simon Ekpa) to discredit IPOB’s movement, adding that for Akintoye to refer to its leader as a noise maker shows the level of hatred he (Akintoye) has for Kanu.
IPOB stated, “We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu condemn the unguided statement from Prof. Akintoye during his BBC interview where he ignorantly referred to Kanu as a noise maker while praising Sunday Igboho.
“It's unfortunate that this old man whom our leader and IPOB hold in high esteem will stoop so low to speak like a Nigerian paid agent. Prof Akintoye should understand that Mazi Nnamdi KANU is the only man that put fear in the government of Nigeria.
“For him to refer to our leader as a noise maker shows the level of hatred he has for our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. If Prof. Akintoye's boy, Sunday Igboho and Yoruba agitators are making noise, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are not. We are in a serious business in our quest for the restoration of Biafra.
“The old Professor with Nigeria divide and rule mentally has been working with enemies of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to discredit IPOB's movement. Paid agent, Akintoye worked with Tony Nnadi on their irrelevant Lower Niger Republic or Congress project or whatever name they called it and woefully failed.
“Today he has started working with Simon Ekperima and boosting his ego to frustrate IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They don't understand that we are resolute and have dismantled all past enemies and obstacles that have stood in our way. We will overcome and dismantle them too, shortly.
“Moreso, we want to state again that IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has nothing to do with the so-called Biafra government in Exile. IPOB has never authorized anybody to form the Biafra Government in Exile while our leader is in DSS detention.
“We have said before and we wish to say it categorically again that anybody forming government in exile is a criminal and any day we catch him or her, their name will be sorry. Sponsors and initiators of Government in Exile are power drunk people who want to displace Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and destroy the Biafra movement and our struggle for independence.
“We won't allow such to happen because we are the last line of defense against the enemies of the Indigenous Peoples in Africa. IPOB is not a push over and anybody thinking he or she can be used to destroy IPOB should ask the Nigerian government, "how far"? IPOB is a divine mandate from God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama to restore Biafra freedom and sovereignty. At the end of this journey, the Biafra Nation will emerge.”