* As army arrests top commander of IPOB
The Director-General of World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has debunked claims of her involvement in facilitating a $57.5 billion loan for the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE).
A fugitive Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, in a now-deleted post on X, had claimed that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed to loan $57.5 billion to BRGIE.
According to Ekpa, the funds were meant to support the formation of a new government following a proposed declaration of Biafra Independence on December 2, 2024.
“The World Bank and IMF have agreed to loan the sum of $57.5 billion to Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) to form our government after December 2nd 2024 declaration of Biafra. I thank our sister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for helping me to facilitate the loan,” he said.
But Okonjo-Iweala strongly repudiated the claim, describing the statement as false and outrageous.
“I know no sensible person will believe what is contained in the outrageous tweet below, but in these troubled times, it is important to underscore that the statement is false,” she said in a statement on Thursday via X.
The former Finance Minister also called on individuals misusing her name to cease such actions immediately.
“Again, I enjoin all those seeking to misuse my name to desist,” the WTO boss said.
Meanwhile, troops of Operation Udoka in the South-East region have arrested a suspected “founding father” of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and others.
The Director of Defence Media Operations Major Gen Edward Buba, said the arrests were made in Orsu, Imo State, and Arochukwu Local Government Area in Abia State,
Gen Buba announced this on Thursday in Abuja during the bi-weekly briefing of the DHQ which gives an overview of successes recorded by the military.
“In the South-East, the troops of Operation Udoka, Forward Operational Base (FOB), Orsu, in a sting operation, apprehended a terrorist leader belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) terrorist group known as Mr. Pius Iguh. He is an IPOB founding father responsible for the Orsu general area in Imo State,” he said.
“Also in a separate development, troops of FOB Amaruku conducted a raid on an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) commanders’ location. The raid was successful and led to the arrest of the commander identified as Emmanuel Onwugu in Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.”
According to him, troops also arrested another suspect Ifeanyi Rock who is a “notorious cult leader”.
He said the operation, which was in collaboration with security forces, “led to the arrest of a notorious cult leader named Ifeanyi Rock and 10 of his commanders in the Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State”.
Major General Buba said the DHQ also recovered some items and weapons from the operations in the South-East.