IPOB: Benue Police Command Speaks on ‘Bandits’ Leader Mohammed Isa Killed By Nnamdi Kanu’s ESN’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The Benue State Police Command has quashed claims by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) about the Eastern Security Network (ESN) militias’ capture and subsequent killing of a supposed Fulani bandits’ leader the outlawed group called Mohammed Isa.

ESN is a controversial vigilante group set up by the diaspora-based leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

The group said it aims to protect the Eastern part of Nigeria’s forests from criminal Fulani herdsmen, but has been opposed by authorities in Nigeria.

On Monday, Kanu said men of the ESN last weekend in Benue State, Northcentral Nigeria, captured a “notorious leader of Fulani bandits”, identified as Mohammed Isa.

On Thursday, IPOB released another statement, saying its men have extrajudicially killed the said Isa.

But earlier, on Tuesday when AllNews reached out to Catherine Anene, the police spokesperson in Benue, she said ‘no one knows about the killing’ of any “notorious” terrorist  named Mohammed Isa.

In fact, she denied the existence of IPOB in Benue state.

“I am not aware of this. I have tried to confirm, but no one knows about it.”

”For now, I am not aware of any bandit leader by that name in Benue State. And besides, there is no IPOB in Benue state please” she added in an exclusive chat with AllNews on Friday.

When informed James Oche, the Chairman of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State reportedly reacted to the gruesome murder of an elderly Fulani man identified as Mohammed Isa at Ekile Council Ward of the council recently, Anene replied: “This did not happen in Benue.”

READ ALSO: Biafra: South East Elders Send Message To Nigerian Army Over IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu’s Activities

AllNews’ detection

Kanu and IPOB provided no pictorial evidence, nor gave an account of how the supposed capture took place.

IPOB, since the creation of ESN, has always stormed the internet with pictures and videos of its presumed achievements. AllNews fact-checked several of these reports and found many to be misleading. This is an example.

But this time around, IPOB/ESN didn't even deem it fit to show off picture or clip of their 'successful operation’ - at the littlest, an image of the captured suspect.