According to IPOB Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, in a statement he issued on Saturday, the military personnel also allegedly raped and sexually assaulted female dwellers of Ehime community.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused operatives of the Nigerian Army of unjustifiably invading Ehime community in Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to IPOB Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, in a statement he issued on Saturday, the military personnel also allegedly raped and sexually assaulted female dwellers of Ehime community.
Comrade Powerful denied the claims by the Nigerian Army that some soldiers were attacked by the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the community.
He thereafter urged the Army authorities to hand over the bodies of those killed during the invasion to their families for proper burial, rather than using "false propaganda" to cover up their actions.
His statement read, “The Directorate of State (DOS) of the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is here to debunk the claims by the Nigerian Military that they were attacked by ESN Operatives at Ehime Mbano, Imo State.
“The Nigeria Army carried another operation at the Aba branch in Ehime Mbano LGA Imo as a smokescreen to invade peaceful communities in Ehime Mbano. Some rapists among them stationed at Ehime Mbano LGA headquarters have been harassing community women. These soldiers have raped some innocent girls inside the military camp in the local government headquarters.
“The soldiers were also harassing and forcing themselves on married women who resisted them. When the women resisted their sexual harassment and intimidation, the soldiers mobilised and gave false alarm to 82 Division that ESN Operatives attacked them. Quickly, the trigger-happy 82 Division mobilised terrorist soldiers to invade the people communities.
“The claims by the Nigerian Army that ESN attacked them was not only false but a mockery to the military institution. For public records, ESN operatives do not attack the Nigerian Security Forces but are focused in dismantling the remnant of Fulani terrorists in our forest and bushes.
“Let the public ignore the military propaganda. ESN Operatives did not engage the Nigerian Army and never engaged in criminal activities and no IPOB member or ESN Operative killed in Ehime Mbano LGA Imo State. IPOB and ESN Operatives are disciplined and remain resolute to drive out Fulani terrorists out of our Land. The Nigeria Army cannot distract us with fallacious propaganda, if any body in Ehime Mbano is innocent, it is the community people.
“The public should ignore Nigerian Army propaganda that they killed ESN Operatives in Ehime Mbano LGA. The question should be how many innocent persons did the Nigerian Army kill in Ehime Mbano during the invasion of the communities?
“The Nigerian Army should hand over the dead bodies they slaughtered in Ehime Mbano to the families for proper burial instead of using ESN news to cover their genocidal actions.
“It is imperative for the Nigerian Army to be feeding their masters the truth and not lying beyond imagination. IPOB and ESN do not and will not get involved in any violent and criminal activities.”