Internal Feud
The IPLO was accused of becoming involved in the drugs trade, especially in ecstasy. Some of its Belfast members were also accused of the prolonged gang rape of a north Down woman in Divis Flats in 1990. Many of its recruits had fallen out of favour with the IRA: the portents for its future were not good. Sammy Ward, a low level IPLO member and a few supporters broke away from the main body of the organisation when the IPLO were severely depleted and weak in Belfast. His faction attacked the IPLO culminating in the killing of Jimmy Brown. A full-scale feud followed between two factions terming themselves "Army Council" (led by Jimmy Brown) and "Belfast Brigade" (led by Sammy Ward), which led to the 3000th killing of the Troubles Hugh McKibbon a 21-year old "Army Council" man. Brown had been the previous victim when he was shot dead in West Belfast on 18 August 1992. This feud was portrayed by the IPLO's critics as a lethal squabble over money and drugs.
Read more about this topic: Irish People's Liberation Organisation
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