The police spokesperson had said the suspect was arrested following a tip-off from some allies he confided in.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said the reported arrest of a member of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a security arm of IPOB in Katsina State was staged to blackmail the Biafran group.
IPOB made the claim in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, saying that the reported arrested young man who claimed he was an ESN member was a mere staged action by the Nigeria Police Force, Katsina State Command.
Recall that the Katsina Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, on Tuesday announced that operatives of the State Command arrested a 19-year-old David Eric Uchenna at Kofar Sauri Quarters in the Katsina metropolis.
The police spokesperson had said the suspect was arrested following a tip-off from some allies he confided in.
According to the PPRO, the suspect said to be a native of Orji River in Enugu State, said that he had denounced his membership of IPOB, having served under one of their leaders, identified as Emenike (aka SAPALE), claiming they have over 400 members in their camp located at Akpogozie forest in Orji Rivers LGA.
Reacting to the report, IPOB said it condemned the Nigeria Police "For constantly disgracing the police Institution by engaging in unprofessional media propaganda against IPOB."
According to IPOB, "The recent blackmail from the Katsina Police Command who claimed they arrested an ESN member in Katsina State is not only laughable but also demeaning of the Police Institution they represent who have become a willing tool for subjugation and propaganda for the Government of Nigeria.
"Government media propaganda and blackmail against IPOB members and ESN Operatives in the East is no longer holding water, hence the need to seek other ways by exporting their blackmail to other States thereby completely negating one of the ESN's fundamental primary purpose of establishment.
"They have decided to take their usual stage managed propaganda to the North. If it were to be possible, the Nigerian government will bribe Interpol to stage one criminal or another to claim to be an ESN Operative even overseas.
"We know where they are going with this garbage and its intention is simply to say that since ESN is operating outside of Biafraland, they are therefore engaging in terror activities.
"We should recollect that it has been the singular and most pressing desire of this Fulani government to convince the International community to accept its deluded and delusional tagging of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB worldwide as a terrorist group.
"This is simply to create a parallel to justify the murderous terrorist activities of the Fulani terrorist herdsmen, the fourth most dangerous terror group in the world, who have been spreading terror, tears destruction and blood along the length and breadth of the Zoological Republic of Nigeria."
IPOB noted that ESN operatives mandate is to protect the South East region and forests "As well as Biafran farmers from Fulani terrorists herdsmen are never and will never be kidnappers.
"In fact, they are a thorn in the flesh of Fulani Herdsmen Kidnappers and their collaborators in Nigerian Army uniform same way they are a thorn in the flesh of Fulani terrorists Herdsmen seen within Biafran bushes and forests.
"Fulani Government of Nigeria should deal with their sponsored terrorists and bandits who have taken over their land and stop linking ESN to their madness.
"IPOB, Biafrans, and in fact Nigerians are laughing at the Police Command in Katsina for paying a hungry young man for such ridiculous propaganda. This is another calculated plan to eliminate Igbos in the North by labelling them ESN so as to extra-judicially murder many without proper investigation.
"The Nigerian Government and her security agents are showing their cluelessness and vindictiveness in investigating matters because of their premeditated evil agenda against IPOB and our struggle because of our unwavering resolve and determination to extricate our land and people from the failed evil contraption called Nigeria.”
"They prepared a written script for the young man yet they said the investigation is ongoing. What an unprofessional police conduct! IPOB will continue pushing the Zoo managers to always dance naked in the market place before the whole world to their everlasting shame.
"IPOB is asking Nigeria Government to stop disgracing themselves but to try and manage their remaining bastardized image.
"Its laughable and shameful though not surprising that an institution such as the Police command in Katsina State will display such level of unprofessionalism by arranging and parading a desperate innocent boy in far away North to try and link ESN with kidnapping in the East just to blackmail IPOB movement.
"For the Kastina Police Commissioner himself and his Command to stage an Igbo boy in Katsina to claim he is an ESN operative shows the level of panic and desperation that has gripped the Nigeria Government as a result of the obvious progress IPOB is recording around the globe in making our case for freedom of the Biafran people through an international supervised referendum.
"Nigeria Government, the police in Katsina, and the whole North should stop dragging IPOB into their murderous terrorism and banditry business."