Imo State Government House 'Renamed' After Late ESN Leader, 'Ikonso'

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Wednesday, renamed the Imo State Government House, Owerri, after its slain commander, Ikonso.

IPOB, in a release by its head of media and publicity, Mr Emma Powerful, also named Owerri road and Awomamma junction after the late Ikonso.

Powerful said the immortalisation was a collective decision of the proscribed organisation in memory of the late commander.

The statement reads, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Biafrans worldwide, ably led by our great and indomitable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to announce to the world our unanimous decision to rename the Imo State Government House, Douglas Way, Owerri, and the Awomamma junction after the late heroic commander of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), Ikonso, murdered in cold blood by security operatives.

“The affected places will henceforth be called Ikonso Government House, Ikonso Way and Ikonso Junction respectively. This is with immediate effect, and compliance is required of all ministries and parastatals beginning from today, the 28th day of April 2021.

“This decision is one of the ways IPOB members and Biafrans all over the world have agreed to immortalise the name of our brave Ikonso and his men killed by security agents. We therefore expect maximum cooperation from relevant government agencies, officials and the Imo State House of Assembly because we don’t know who this Douglas is, but we know who Ikonso was.

“He defended Imo State with his life, for without him, most Imo indigenes would be in IDP camps by now, courtesy of terrorists.”

The late commander was last Saturday killed, alongside six personnel of the ESN, by a combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Security Services at Awomama village in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. IPOB however claimed they were ambushed by the combined forces.

Efforts to speak with the state commissioner for information and strategies, Mr Declan Emelumba, for response did not yield results.