By Abdulrahman Dambazau, a former Chief of Army Staff, has said the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) are similar to terrorist group Boko Haram.
Dambazau, who served as Minister of Interior from 2015 to 2019, stated this on Friday while speaking at the inauguration of Army War College Nigeria Course 5/2021 in Abuja.
He said those groups, like Boko Haram, don’t believe in Nigeria’s unity, adding that both IPOB and OPC are exhibiting features similar to that of when the insurgent group started out in 2009.
“IPOB, OPC are all non-state actors with separatist agenda to carve out states out of Nigeria. They all don’t believe in the Nigerian project, its unity and peaceful co-existence just like Boko Haram,” Dambazau said.
“They are also beginning their projects by attacking security forces and those they consider their enemies.
“The two groups have been making efforts to ignite nationwide inter-ethnic conflicts through their violent attacks on northern residents or transacting businesses in the south as a quick to realise their dream for a divided Nigeria.”
The former military chief added that there are parallels between IPOB and OPC, Boko Haram as well as religious extreme groups, saying they all operate on the platform of extremism.
