The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Thursday replied a former Senior Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr Reuben Abati, that it is not a terror organisation that receives illicit funds and does not need drug money for its sponsorship.

It also told Mr Abati, that it maintains presence in over 100 countries of the world and gets its funding from the financial contributions and donations by members and, therefore, does not need drug money for funding.

Describing as false the alleged assertion by Mr Abati, that a certain drug peddler who was allegedly caught by security agents in Imo State, was IPOB fund raiser, the Biafra agitating group warned Mr Abati, to stop blackmailing it, saying that linking IPOB with a drug dealer or dealers is a big insult to the great people of Biafra.

A statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “Reuben Abati watch your utterances, Biafra project not funded by drug trafficker,” said that it has tried to ignore pockets of unwarranted attacks by Mr Abati against the group and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but will no longer tolerate his insults.

IPOB statement read in part, “The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has been drawn to the malicious and fallacious assertion credited to Mr Reubben Abati, that a certain drug peddler who was said to have been caught by security agents in Imo State, was IPOB fund raiser.

“We have tried to ignore pockets of unwarranted attacks by Abati against IPOB and our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but we will no longer tolerate these insults. In case Reuben Abati and his likes do not know, IPOB is a global family and not a terror organization that receives illicit funds.

IPOB is legitimately funded by its teeming members most of who are very enterprising and resourceful sons and daughters of Biafra in the Diaspora. IPOB maintains its presence in over 100 countries of the world and gets its funding from the financial contributions and donations by members. It does not need drug money for funding.

“No single individual or drug dealer is sponsoring IPOB or the Biafra project. Biafra is a divine mandate which Chukwu Okike Abiama designed and asked Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB members to actualise.

“Reuben Abati linking IPOB with a drug dealer is a big insult to the great people of Biafra. Those close to him should advise him to refrain from his vituperations against IPOB as this can no longer be tolerated. IPOB is not desperate about funding otherwise we know what to do but funding has never been our challenge.

“Reuben Abati is interfering into IPOB matter much and it must bring him down because IPOB will ridicule him anytime soon, Mr Abati must leave IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu alone and face his business or he is going to meet his waterloo because God Alright Chukwu Okike Abiama is going to handle him.

“Abati hatred against Igbo people cannot change God’s wishes for Igbos. Reuben Abati with his family cannot match a single family in Igboland, he should stop envy and jealousy against those he knows that are bigger than him and his family. The God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama bless IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu, his hatred cannot change anything in our lives.

“Mr Abati’s derogatory statements against the great IPOB family cannot bring IPOB down because God Almighty, Chukwu Okike Abiama is behind us to deliver Biafrans.

“We recall that in 2017 Mr Abati was rejoicing and jubilating over the fate of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu after the Nigeria Army invaded his Afaraukwu. We wonder what is the business of Reuben Abati in the affairs of IPOB and Biafra struggle.

“Those who know him should tell him to stop castigating IPOB and writing junks about IPOB and its decision on Radio Biafra broadcaster, what is his business over IPOB decisions, is he a Biafran or Igbo man. Mr Abati, stay off Biafra affair or face the wrath of Biafrans.”

Culled from the Vanguard News Nigeria