‘Joe Igbokwe burnt down his own house to discredit us,’ says IPOB

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied the allegation leveled against it by Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage & Water Resources, and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr. Joe Igbokwe, who had claimed on Sunday afternoon that the secessionist group burnt down his house.

IPOB instead while responding to the allegation, claimed that the APC chieftain burnt down his own house ‘just to tarnish the image’ of the organization.

Igbokwe’s house in Anambra State was last Sunday afternoons burnt down on a day of rage in Nnewi which also saw properties and operational facilities of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Department of State (DSS) in the area razed by unidentified gunmen.

Igbokwe had used his verified Facebook account, same Sunday, to point accusing fingers at IPOB members for being responsible for the act.

Igbokwe has been a staunch critic of the secessionist group for some time now, even as they openly threatened him but have never made do any of those threats.

Earlier this year, Igbokwe had revealed that the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu had instructed his men to behead him anywhere he is found.

Igbokwe did last month boast of travelling back to his Uruagu Nnewi hometown to attend the burial ceremony of a member of his family without molestation.

However, on Sunday evening, Igbokwe claimed his house in Nnewi has been birnt down by IPOB members.

“IPOB invaded my house in Nnewi about now. I am sure they raised (sic) down my house giving the jerrycans of petrol I saw being offloaded from their Sienna car via CCTV. To God be the glory. I am still alive. My Study is my greatest regret,” Igbokwe wrote on his known Facebook page.

However, responding to the allegation, IPOB said that Igbokwe burnt his own residence to ‘tarnish the image’ of the secessionist group.

Simon Ekpa, the Finland-based disciple of the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu further alleged that Joe Igbokwe is one of the financiers of unknown gunmen terrorising South-East region.

Ekpa, a former Radio Biafra broadcaster said this while reacting to Igbokwe’s statement that IPOB members burnt his house in Nnewi, Anambra state on Sunday.

Reacting on his verified Twitter page, Ekpa said Igbokwe’s statement vindicated IPOB members, as he claimed Igbokwe burnt his own residence to tarnish the image of the secessionist group.

Ekpa tweeted, “Joe Igbokwe’s comment that ‘my house in Nnewi has been sacrificed’ vindicated IPOB, it is also a confirmation that he is part of the sponsors of unknown gunmen in the southeast by sacrificing his own house, burning it down just to dent the image of IPOB & ESN.”

Meanwhile, Nigerians reacting on social media space have also picked holes in Igbokwe’s claims of IPOB being responsible for his burnt house, as they wondered how the APC chieftain failed to call the police when he purportedly saw through his CCTV persons offloading jerrycans of petrol in front of his house, as he claimed.