A former Chief of Army Staff in Nigeria, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) has designated the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Odua People’s Congress (OPC) as terrorist organizations.
According to him, both groups are not different from the Boko Haram terrorist group as they have been attacking innocent citizens and attempting to pitch the North against the South.
The former army chief further accused IPOB and OPC of attempts to bring about another civil war in the country and a possible break up of Nigeria based on ethnic conflicts they are sponsoring.
Dambazzau, who is also a former Interior Minister, made his views known while delivering a lecture to participants of course 5, 2021, Army War College Nigeria.
In his words, “The two groups have been making efforts to ignite nationwide inter-ethnic conflicts through their violent attacks on northern residents or transacting businesses in the south as a quick to realize their dream for a divided Nigeria.
“We see parallels between BH, a religious extreme group, and the IPOB and OPC, both ethnic extremist groups. All the three groups operate on the platform of extremism.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has denied reports that its personnel has killed about 70 innocent persons in recent raids in Benue State.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Brig General Mohammad Yerima in a reaction on Friday to the allegation that soldiers have killed several innocent civilians in Mbator, Shangev-Tiev of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue d3scribed the allegation as untrue.
He added that contrary to the allegation, the on-going operation in Benue State is to fish out hoodlums who attacked and killed eleven Army personnel, including one officer and ten soldiers.
It would be recalled as earlier published by Naija News that the people of Mbator in Shangev-Tiev of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State have accused Nigerian soldiers of killing at least 70 innocent persons.
Bonta village of Mbator in Shangev-Tiev of Konshisha LGA and the Okpute-Ainu in Oju LGA have experienced several decades of land tussle with renewed hostility breaking out between both communities five days ago which led to the deployment of troops.
Speaking on Friday during a press conference in Makurdi, Benue, a group known as Shangev-Tiev Assembly (STA), accused the military of ravaging at least 15 other communities, destroying schools and hospitals in the process.
Reacting to the allegation, Army Spokesperson noted that the soldiers are only in Benue to fish out the alleged killers of 11 Army personnel.
