The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, said Saturday that 20 of its members were killed and over 200 members of the group were still missing after its pro- Trump rally in Port Harcourt on Friday turned awry following a clash with security operatives.
A statement by the IPOB spokesman, Mr. Emma Powerful also claimed that over 11 of its members were killed, describing as untrue, the statement by the police that only one person died.
IPOB statement, which was made available to Sunday Vanguard read: “We the Indigenous People of IPOB and its leadership worldwide, wish to use this medium to correct the erroneous impression that we carried out a protest.
“What IPOB did on 20th of January 2017 in Igweocha Port Harcourt, Rivers State was a peaceful rally in solidarity with the newly elected President of the United States of America Mr. Donald J Trump, who took oath of office in Washington D.C.
“This solidarity rally in support of President Donald J Trump was announced by IPOB Worldwide on the 16th day of January 2017 by our media team and the contents of that announcement was unambiguous and could not conceivably be misunderstood or misrepresented to mean protest as has been erroneously reported by certain sections of the media.
“The event was scheduled and announced as a rally and not a protest. We would also like to place it on record that IPOB worldwide has confirmed that more than 11 Biafrans died as a result of the unprovoked, brutal and unwarranted military assault on our members during this peaceful rally.
“Many more are in hospitals receiving treatment with over 200 abducted presumed dead. It is incumbent on the civilized world to prevail on the regime of President Buhari to release the dead bodies and those they abducted; and to refrain from abducting those receiving treatment in hospitals.
“IPOB Family Units, whose members are missing, are advised to forward their names to our secretariat.”
He explained that IPOB lawyers were working tirelessly to locate and release those taken to Bori Camp at Rumuola, the State CID, Port Harcourt and SOS Police Station at Miniokoro off Old Aba Road.
