IPOB has become a torn in their flesh. A group they called miscreants, poor and uneducated have actually held Nigeria down. From a Radio in a faraway London, he has educated and awakened the people. The awakening gave birth to millions of volunteers ready to stand up against oppression. The underrated men and women have already taken the gospel of Biafra to the international stage. The last time Biafra was heard was in 1970 when Philip Efiong on behalf of Odumegwu Ojukwu handed over Biafra sovereignty to Nigeria. That was after a brutal civil war led by Nigeria and supported by Britain left more than 7 million Biafrans dead.

IPOB must be destroyed. But how can that be done when almost the entire Easterners are already behind him? He commands the respect of the people and can now shut down the entire East from his home in London. He has also become a threat to the local politicians in the East who have worked against the people and looted them dry. Who takes them seriously again when their words aren’t final anymore? Fulani oligarchs can’t trust them again. There is every need to tackle IPOB and defeat them. The destruction of IPOB is better for Igbo politicians and best for the federal.

The plot to destroy IPOB did not start with the kidnapping of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It started much earlier. People loyal to the politicians were encouraged to join IPOB especially abroad. They joined and soaked themselves inside IPOB. Some were given money to donate and with it endeared themselves to IPOB. Anyone who can donate hugely for the freedom of his people will surely be taken seriously. Their names were elevated even above those that have given their all for many years. This will continue to be an elementary mistake IPOB made which they must learn from.

During that time, it seemed those people were getting respect, honour and authority they didn’t deserve. They meddle in things they shouldn’t and with it keep gathering information. When the time came they advised the IPOB leader to travel to a third-world country. Which he did without the knowledge of the members of DOS. This was why when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was kidnapped in Kenya none of the members of the DOS knew he was kidnapped. But those people recruited into IPOB knew. They will later turn around to accuse members of DOS of being behind the kidnap of MNK. Some of them cried online. All these were done for the destruction of IPOB.

The agents of the government needed to sow the seed of doubt in the people and discredit IPOB leadership. With this seed of doubt, the people will lose interest in them and start listening to these recruits working directly for the government. There is also a need to cause chaos in Igbo land in the name of IPOB just to discredit IPOB.

Good enough for the government, the people have not been educated on what false flag operation is all about. The kidnap of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his illegal rendition to Nigeria has created in the people the spirit of revenge. They wanted something to start happening. They needed to hear that the government had started paying for their action against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. This mindset was exactly what the agent provocateur took advantage of and started a series of atrocities ranging from kidnapping, murder, beheading and torture. The government carried out many false flag operations just to give the IPOB a bad name and the agent provocateur will always be there to claim responsibility while Nigeria media reports it as IPOB leaving out his name. Many high-profile assassinations were carried out. The husband of Dora Akunyili was murdered and Nigerian media is always ready to brand it IPOB. A soldier couple were brutally murdered and the voiceover claimed it was done by IPOB. Which group who claim to be non-violent will start committing such reckless violence to the extent of targeting their own people? A bank robbery was reported in Anambra where the bank thieves made videos of themselves waving the Biafra flag. They went to great lengths just to criminalize IPOB and force the people to see IPOB as evil and reject them.

Funny enough, many did not understand the game. Some at the initial time praised the agent provocateur and said he was the only person doing something. Inside the market as of then, many marketmen chanted his name. Today those men are all in shame.

IPOB did not relent. The IPOB leadership in the face of blackmail and lies against them kept pushing. The implanted government agents killed IPOB sources of funds. Monies in the bank were reported as fraudulent and were frozen. It was hell on earth. The media warriors were being blackmailed collectively and individually. Some were given money and their consciences were bought. But the remaining ones kept pushing. They kept educating people on the plan of the government to destroy IPOB and they successfully educated the people.

Today, the people have known that the government was behind the agent provocateur. They knew that the crimes committed in the East were a government false flag operation used to destroy the image of IPOB. They have understood that not everyone carrying guns and shouting all hail Biafra is their friend.

In a struggle, you can’t succeed with anyhow behaviour. You must be obedient, respect your superior and be disciplined. That’s the hallmark of a freedom fighter.

IPOB refused to be destroyed. They are still here demanding freedom and they don’t look like people ready to stop without gaining freedom.

It is the right of every indigenous people to be free. Give them a referendum for the call is genuine. Nigerian government must know that the more they hold Mazi Nnamdi Kanu illegally the more the people have more reason to demand for freedom.

Elochukwu Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher and Activist, 2024.