President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has flayed the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Igbo land, calling on the security agencies to unravel those behind the dastardly act.
Reacting to the explosion of suspected Improvised Explosive Device at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Iji-Nike, in Enugu-East Council Area of Enugu State, on Sunday morning, Nwodo described the act as sacrilegious and satanic.
“I am alarmed that IEDs are beginning to be used recklessly in Igbo land and this casts aspersion on the security in Igbo land. This places a serious bounding on the security to find the source of the IEDs”.
Also, a former President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Bishop of Rock Family Church, Dr. Obi Onubogu described those behind the attack as cowards stressing that if their aim is to destabilize the Igbo nation, they have failed.
Ohaneze Ndigbo and the Muslims
In a show of peace, support and unity, the apex Igbo-socio cultural organization, have paid a visit to their Northern counterparts residing in Enugu community after their Mosque was engulfed by fire.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by the Enugu branch President, Chief Alex Ogbonna, on Wednesday, visited the Muslim Community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State to commiserate with them over the fire incident which engulfed a mosque in the area.
It was reported that a mosque located at Ogrute, the council headquartres was early morning of Saturday last week engulfed by a mysterious fire, which razed the entire roof down.
Chief Alex who led other members of his exco to the mosque, said he was in the area to re-echo the existing peace and bond existing among all the residents of the State irrespective of their religious and ethnic differences.
He expressed sadness over the inferno, and urged the Muslim faithful to accept the development as an act of God which should not be allowed to affect the existing cordial relationship existing between Christians and Muslims in the State.
“We are here to sympathize with you and to tell you that whatever may be the case, we shall continue to be one. You have been here for several years and there has never been any incident of whatever form. So, our appeal is that you all should continue to live in peace.
“So, the essence of our coming here today is to show solidarity with the Imam and thee Muslim community in this area. We have Christians, traditionalists and Muslims in this State and all of them practice their religion unhindered.
“There is absolute freedom of worship in Enugu State and as such everybody is free to pursue their religion. That’s why we felt touched that this happened to a house of God”, he said.
Ogbonna further stated that “we felt that what happened is quite unusual because this is the most peaceful State. The Governor is a peaceful man and that is why in Enugu, everybody sleeps with two eyes closed.
“Also, from what we have noticed today, almost all the Muslim faithful here, including the Imam are Igbos. So, this is internal; this has nothing to do with ethnic group or religion. Our people should not be afraid at all.
“However, we are sure that God will find a way in distant time to see to the erection of a better mosque here.”
In a remark, the Chief Imam of Enugu-Ezike, Alhaji Ali Osai expressed happiness with the Ohanaeze leadership over the visit, and stressed that they had lived in absolute peace with adherents of other religions, stressing that “the peace will be sustained.”
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Saturday, slammed the Defence Headquarters for labeling the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation.
The orgnisation made this stand after a meeting held at the Nike Lake hotel in Enugu last night.
Ohanaeze insisted that IPOB is not a terrorist organization going by extant national and international laws, especially the Terrorist Prevention Act 2011, as amended in 2015.
Reading their communique after the meeting, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, strongly frowned at the military operation in the zone and urged the army to terminate the exercise without further delay.
The group said it would soon hold a special summit in support of the restructuring agenda, adding that they support all the resolutions of the Southern leaders forum.
The group noted that the continued policy of marginalization of the South East zone was the basic cause of renewed agitation by pro-Biafra groups. Those who attended the meeting included, President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere and Ebonyi State Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe.
Others are former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof Joe Irukwu, former Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nworgu, former Minister of Information, Walter Ofonagoro, former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Dr. Greg Ibe and former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
The President General of apex Igbo social-cultural group, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, has given reasons the threat by Northern Youths Coalition to force Igbo out of the North should not be swept under the carpet by Ndigbo, citing the different killings that have taken place in the past.
Nwodo, Going back memory lane, cited several of such incidents since 2015, saying the Federal, States or security agents did nothing to arrest or prosecute their killers.
Nwodo, speaking on Channels Television Sunrise Daily, insisted that Igbo people living in the north are in danger following the recent threat.
He said even the Northern Governor and other prominent individuals who have spoken contrary to the youths’ threats, will not be able to stop them when they strike.
According to him, “We have several reasons to bother about the speech by Northern youths because these are discordant voices. You did not mentioned that Ango Abdullahi speaking on behalf of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, it does appear, that even if he doesn’t have the mandate to speak for the elders, incidents that have happened prior to the outburst of the Northern youths indicate that the governors and those who have spoken to the contrary may not have the capacity to stop the building hate that may precipitate insecurity to lives of non Northerners.
“What do I mean by this, since 2015, five Igbo people have been lynched in Abuja. On the 23rd of September 2015, Arinze Chikwelu, from Enugu State, on an errand to buy rechargeable lantern, and on demand for change, was accused to be a thief and was stabbed 47 times and the police has been unable to do anything about this.
“Another was Maduabuchi Ezenwa from Imo State who was lynched following altercation with Hausa trader. Also Ikechukwu Ugwu from Enugu State, after barbing, entered a “Keke,” paid money and asked for change, change was refused, and instead he was accused of being “barawo” and was lynched to death.
“Ndubuisi Obika from Abia state was beheaded in his farm in Abuja and his head was not found until two weeks later.
“Now in May this year, a young man, pressed to urinate, urinated in a gutter closed to a Mosque in an area in Abuja called Gwagwa, he was lynched to death, nobody has been arrested and prosecuted. In October 2016, Sylvester Oziria from Anambra state was killed in Palado, Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa state.
“In Niger State, Emmanuel Chukwumaije from Enugu state was killed in Pandigori in Rafy Local Government Area after being accused of blasphemy, properties, shops and churches belonging to Igbo were burnt. Even when the local government Chairman said the young man was innocent, no compensation has been paid.
“And just last Thursday, a young man called Ikenna Nwabueze, while all this is going on, was killed in Kano, and police has not arrested any suspect. Of course you know about the case of Bridget in Kano in June of last year.
“I see the recent threat by the Northern youths as a quintessence of a building hate, a building despise for Ndigbo and a seeming acquiesce by the federal government to enact a nation in which some are like the animal farm. Some animals are more equal than others.
“The young men in the north see the country as an empire and see any agitation from any part of the country that they are not fairly treated as threat to deny them of their power. There is a building crescendo all over the country of a disposition that is antithesis to national unity and a domicility of government and law-enforcement agents.
“Even the northern youths have been quoted as saying ‘We dare the police to arrest us.’ What does this mean? It is anarchy. They dare the police to arrest them. The northern youths have declared a new state that excludes the South-east of Nigeria.
“They have described measures to actualize this. Everything in their speech showed a concluded crime. You have declared an intention and have consummated it. They have declared to take inventory of property belonging to Ndigbo.”
Ahead of the sit-at-home declared tomorrow, Tuesday, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, OYC, has vowed to hold acting President, Yemi Osinbajo responsible should anything happen to pro-Biafra agitators.
This is coming amid fears over alleged plans by security operatives to open fire on the agitators who shall be observing a sit-at-home to mark the 50th year of Biafra declaration.
In a press statement made available to journalists, which was signed by the groups’s Deputy National President and the National Secretary, Dr. Arthur Obiora and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, respectively, the OYC said, “Ndigbo shall hold Osinbajo responsible as the Acting President of Nigeria should anything happen to any of our youths.
“We shall not take lightly the spilling of the blood of any Igbo man today because these are non-violent agitators and their agitation is protected under every known law.
“As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo is very much aware of the constitutional rights of these agitators and he should therefore not allow himself to be used as an instrument to suppress lawful expression of opinion.
“He should, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria call all security agencies to order to ensure that they do not engage in mass murder.
“We have had enough of this mindless killing of our people and we are not going to take it again this time.”
Buhari operating civilian dictatorship since he became President – NBA
The group called on Igbo traders and workers to comply with the sit-at-home order of the pro-Biafra groups, stressing that
“the international community is watching; so, if we can show unity as a people, if we can show solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu and Uchenna Madu, the leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, respectively, the United Nations and other international organizations will not just accord us respect but help us in pushing for a referendum.”
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