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The Nigerian Army has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its supporters of disseminating ethnicity-driven propaganda to disprove military operations in the South-East.
IPOB is a separatist movement in southeastern Nigeria that campaigns for the creation of an independent country for the region, called Biafra. The sect was proscribed in 2017 and has been linked to violence in the region.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni reacted to viral claims that recovered IED images were fake.
Ayeni said the images, published on Thursday with a press release, showed improvised explosive devices recovered during Operation Eastern Sanity conducted simultaneously in Imo and Anambra.
According to him, the explosives were recovered from the Orsu–Eketutu Mother Valley and Orsu–Ihiteukwa areas of Imo during ongoing operations under Operation UDO KA.
He added that geo-location details in the images were deliberately blurred for operational security, and that the group had highlighted the ethnic identity of a serving officer instead of addressing the facts surrounding the operation.
“The devices in the images were recovered during the ongoing operations in the operational areas as earlier stated. Unfortunately, IPOB sympathisers manipulated the blurred metadata and circulated altered versions online, falsely suggesting the images originated from Lagos and Oyo states,” Ayeni explained.
According to him, the focus on ethnicity reflects attempts to sow division, undermine military operations and weaken national cohesion.
“It is not gainsaying that troops have dislodged several camps, hideouts and IED-making factories belonging to IPOB and its armed wing. The camps were located within the Mother Valley general area spanning Imo and Anambra.
“Having lost operational assets and capacity to terrorise residents, they have now resorted to propaganda, fake news and divisive narratives,” Ayeni added.
