The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday denied having a hand in the murder of Dr Chike Akunyili, widower of the former director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Dora Akunyili.
Akunyili was on Tuesday shot dead on his way to Enugu from Onitsha where he attended a lecture in honour of his late wife.
IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful in a statement said some persons were peddling lies about the organisation.
“We have no hands in the political killings going on. We have severally raised the alarm that some cruel politicians are hiding under the cloak of the situation in Biafra land to eliminate their political enemies and blame it on IPOB,” the statement read.
Emma Powerful said the group has never issued any official statement that there would be no governorship election in Anambra State, alleging that politicians were behind Akunyili’s murder.
“Those who killed Dora Akunyili’s husband were the same people that killed Dora. They the ones contesting governorship election in Anambra State today.
“We have no issues with Chike Akunyili and we did not kill him, those behind this act must stop this and stop using IPOB’s name. We don’t want anybody to blame IPOB because we must get them, this is pure political assassination going on in Anambra State. Agents are doing this to paint IPOB black in the face of support and encouragement we are getting from our people,” he said.
A top candidate for the November governorship election in Anambra, Prof Charles Soludo, escaped attack some months ago during an event.
