The Killing Of IPOB Peaceful Protesters In Aba, And The Reaction Of Ohaneze Ndị Igbo In a statement that dated Tuesday, April 4th 2023, the...
The Killing Of IPOB Peaceful Protesters In Aba, And The Reaction Of Ohaneze Ndị Igbo
In a statement that dated Tuesday, April 4th 2023, the pan Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohaneze Ndị Igbo have reacted to the statement of the Nigeria chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yahaya Faruk over the gruesome killings of Family members of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) who harmlessly staged a peaceful protest in the suburban City of Aba, Abịa State on 31st March 2023, demanding the unconditional release of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as ordered by the supreme Court of appeal.
Gen. Yahaya in an event in Abuja on Monday 3, April 2023 had made the justifying statement of killings of over 10 IPOB protesters by the joint task of the army and police. He further threatened that such cruel actions will continue because, according to him, 'those who protested were threatening the integrity of Nigeria' and therefore deserves what they got.
This prompted the reaction of Ohaneze ndị Igbo through its national publicity secretary Mr Alex Ogbonnaya to the general's statement and the killings; calling it Igbophobic, unethical and heinous.
Ohaneze also debunked the erroneous report of the Abia State Commissioner of police Mr. Mustapha Bala Mohammed who claimed that the protesters attacked the security agents. the commissioner's report had stated that, “On 31/03/2023 at about 11.45hours, policemen on confidence building patrol/show of force within Aba metropolis came under attack by the proscribed IPOB/ESN members".
“They were armed with petrol bombs, machetes, battle axes and other dangerous weapons. The attack was repelled by the police operatives with minimal casualties while majority of the hoodlums scampered for safety.”
In reaction, Mr. Alex Ogbonnaya asserted that the commissioner's report was not only false but appalling, as findings indicated that the IPOB protesters dressed on white regalias, were neither armed nor displayed any form of violent misconducts towards the security operatives during their procession across the city.
They were so beautiful & peaceful How can you open live bullet on such peaceful & beautiful protesters. @AmnestyNigeria few days ago said peaceful protest is the right of every person. This protest is not only peaceful, it is beautiful. We shall bury those Nigeria security killed pic.twitter.com/gmJGik4X53
— Emeka Gift Official (@EmekaGift100) March 31, 2023
Ogbonnaya also stated that in as much as the Ohaneze group may not totally agree with the IPOB agitation for separation from Nigeria, it does conform with the reason and motives behind the agitation which is the decades long maltreatment of Ndị Igbo in Nigeria by their collective Northern and Western counterparts.
He further maintained that the only remedy to the IPOB agitation is a political solution, not military repression or state sponsored extrajudicial killings by security operatives. The Ohaneze publicity Secretary advised the Nigerian President to hearken to the call and caution his Security Officers from their tribal "selective profiling".
This gruesome massacre of IPOB peaceful protesters have spurred a lot of outrage and displeasure across the entire South East region with many groups and individuals condemning the incident as being callous and deliberate.
Recall that in an earlier report of Family Writers Press International (FWPI), another Igbo sociocultural group called the Coalition of South East Youths Leaders(COSEYL) had condemned the incident, accusing the Nigerian army of hiding under the pretext of military operations in the peaceful region to launch vindictive depopulation programs against the Youths and indigenes of South Eastern Nigeria. READ IT HERE--Nigerian Security Forces Not On Peace Mission In The South East - COSEYL Alarms
However, IPOB have vowed to avenge the death of her members who were murdered, and called on the international community and foreign institutions who maliciously beams their searchlight on her activities, to intervene now and hold Nigeria Government to account.
Enenienwite Ikechukwu, Reporting
For Family Writers Press International
No comments
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.