IPOB Disowns ‘Fake ESN Commanders,’ Warns Public Against Online Directives
Insists Security Outfit Operates Under Centralised Structure, Not Social Media
By Our Correspondent
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a strong warning to the public over what it described as the activities of impostors and infiltrators allegedly posing as commanders of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) on social media.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group dismissed online messages and directives purportedly issued in the name of ESN, stressing that the security outfit does not operate or communicate through digital platforms.
“ESN does not take orders online. ESN has never taken orders online and will never do so,” the statement emphasised, urging members of the public to disregard any such claims circulating on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, and X.
IPOB maintained that ESN, established by its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, operates under a “disciplined and centralised chain of command,” with a singular mandate to defend communities in the South-East region.
The group accused those issuing online directives of being “state-sponsored agents and opportunists” seeking to create confusion, weaken internal structures, and mislead the public.
Reaffirming its position, IPOB said ESN remains intact and continues to function through its established internal command system without public display or “social media theatrics.”
The statement also linked the creation of ESN to growing insecurity in parts of Nigeria, citing incidents in regions such as Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, and sections of the South-West as justification for what it described as a proactive self-defence strategy.
IPOB further reiterated that its organisational structure remains unified despite the continued detention of its leader, insisting that both its mission and command hierarchy remain unchanged.
The group warned individuals exploiting the ESN name for propaganda, extortion, or misinformation to desist, insisting such actions would ultimately fail.
