A post on the micro-blogging platform, X attributes a statement to the Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, claiming that the CDS said the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, were brave people for maintaining its image as a peaceful entity under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
On December 15, 2024, an X user, @NatureVibes666 posted a picture of General Musa with an IPOB flag collage with the caption “IPOB is brave on maintaining it’s public image as a peaceful entity for self-determination of Biafra under MNK. ~Gen Musa affirmed”
The post has attracted 163 views, 13 retweets, 14 likes and no comment as of the time this report was published. The claim was also found on Facebook, here and here.
VERIFICATION
Several keyword search variations of the purported claim attributed to the CDS showed unrelated results. However, further search revealed that social media handles related to members of the IPOB have posted the same claim about Gen. Musa with a different caption as seen here and here.
Also, an online news platform, The News Digest published a news report where the CDS outlined reasons why the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) often deny involvement in crimes within the Southeast region.
The News Digest reported Musa stated that IPOB members, being generally educated, avoid admitting responsibility for criminal acts to evade legal consequences. He explained that criminal elements take advantage of the group’s influence to carry out unlawful acts under the guise of IPOB operations.
In a live interview with Arise News on December 14, Musa mentioned that those perpetrating crime in the South East are quite learned, unlike those in the north, knowing the implications of what they do and also denying it to avoid prosecution.
In the interview, Musa said that with the arrest of Simon Ekpa, people have started speaking up in the South East for the first time, stressing that the stay at home thing is being watered down. He stressed that IPOB, ESN and other criminal elements were behind the insecurity in the region, noting that unlike the criminal elements in the north that are not too learned, the ones in the South East know the implications of their crimes and are being careful to avoid prosecution.
It is evident that the claim about Musa praising IPOB began circulating after his interview on Arise News on December 14, 2024.
CONCLUSION
The claim that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa said IPOB members were brave people for maintaining its image as a peaceful entity under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is MISLEADING as findings show that although he recently granted with leading TV Station, Arise News where he spoke about IPOB agitators but he did not refer to them as brave.
