Our position on killing of IPOB members – S-East govs


 ABAKALIKI—THE South East Governors’ Forum has distanced itself from the rumour making the rounds, alleging that the body met behind closed doors and accused the Federal Government of killing members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and other issues. 

This came as two pro-Biafra groups, Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB; and Biafra National Guard, BNG, yesterday, said they were waiting for execution of Arewa youth’s threat of second genocide on Ndigbo, come October 1, 2017.

 Nnamdi Kanu with South East governors after a meeting in Enugu This is even as the Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, yesterday, accused security agents posted to the location of a land dispute between Izzi and Ikwo Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State of being biased, corrupt and insensitive to the security of lives and property of those affected in the areas.

 S-East govs deny meeting against FG over IPOB The South-East governors, in their reaction to a report credited to one Comrade Nwankpa Osita Okere, alleging that the forum met in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State and accused the Federal Government of brutality against Ndigbo, described the report as tissues of lies from the pit of hell. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Uzor, described the report as nothing but the writer’s imagination, adding that the report was craftily done to embarrass the forum and cause confusion between the governors of the zone and the Federal Government as part of efforts to thwart peace process with the IPOB. He accused the originators of the falsehood of trying to sabotage the peace process already in motion between the forum and leadership of the IPOB, especially as it concerns the rebuilding process and way forward to achieving lasting peace in the zone. 

The statement read: “The attention of the forum has been drawn to a report circulating in the social media platforms, alleging that the South East governors met behind closed doors at the Government House, Abakaliki and accused the Federal Government of killing members of IPOB. “While it is our responsibility to protect the lives and property of our people, including the IPOB, it is rather embarrassing to link the forum to whatever politics of bitterness in any part of the country.” The statement further disclosed that there was no such meeting as reported by the agent, adding that the chairman of the forum, Governor Umahi whom he quoted as issuing the statement was not even in the country as he is outside the country on investment drive for the development of his state. 

He said that the forum is working in synergy with the federal government and other federating units towards economic and regional integration and development of the South East region and called on members of the public to disregard every attempt by groups to instigate crisis between the zone and the federal government. 

We await Arewa’s proposed Oct 1 genocide —MASSOB, BNG MASSOB and BNG made the remark, yesterday, when the previously detained leader of BNG, ‘General’ Innocent Orji, paid homage to MASSOB national headquarters at Awgu, Enugu State. Leader of MASSOB, Comrade Uchenna Madu, also said the alleged take-over of ASPDA market in Lagos State is another conspiracy aimed at undermining Ndigbo. According to him, “some years back ,a portion of land at the Trade Fair and FESTAC were conceded to our people for development in Lagos. 

After spending billions of Naira in developing this part of Lagos for economic growth, information reaching us today is that the Federal Government connived with the Lagos State government to retrieve the land, the platform and all the investment from people of Biafra. “This is part of the pathological hatred; this is part of the jealousy and reason for Biafra agitation.” He, however, advised Ndigbo to bring their investments nearer home to the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones of Nigeria, where they have better guarantee for safety and protection. BIM berates security agents over killing of members Addressing newsmen in Abakaliki, the leader of BIM in Ebonyi State, Mr. Nwifuru John, who expressed shock over the way the crisis was being handled, alleged that four members of his group, including children and a pregnant woman, had been killed as a result of land dispute. 

He called on the state and Federal Government not to fold their arms and allow the incident degenerate into a full scale war that will not benefit the entire Ebonyi people. He threatened that if nothing was done to urgently salvage the ugly episode existing between Izzi and Ikwo LGA, BIM might be tempted to drop its non-violent disposition to ensure that peace returns to the affected communities in the state. According to him, it was sad to see brothers fight against themselves over land, which is less important compared to the sanctity of human lives “We are angry with what we are seeing; the government should not watch two brothers kill themselves.

 We saw the pictures of children and pregnant women killed as a result of the crisis. We are not happy. It is unfair. “We are pleading with the Federal Government and the state government to look into the crisis and proffer solution.”

Source Vanguard




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