The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has lamented the killing of nine persons and the injuring of many others by security forces during last week’s protest in Onitsha, Anambra State by the Indigeneous People of Biafra (IPOB) against the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The killing which it said has opened a new dimension in the weeks of peaceful demonstration by IPOB if not well managed could threaten the peace of the country and called on IPOB to end the protest.
In a statement in Umuahia which was jointly signed by the national president of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the national secretary, Mazi Nnabuike Okwu, respectively, they said they were shocked that protests by IPOB across South Eastern states suddenly turned bloody in Onitsha.
OYC recalled that it had earlier appealed to IPOB members and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), to halt their protests to avoid being hijacked by “miscreants and enemies of Ndigbo”.
According to OYC, “Enemies of Ndigbo must have hijacked the peaceful protests in Onitsha to foment trouble just to create the wrong impression that IPOB and MASSOB are now violent organisations, and then given excuses to security agents to use maximal force to quell them.
“That is why we want to repeat our appeal to the Biafran – agitators to please stop further protests in the interest of Ndigbo. They should not forget that the enemies of Ndigbo are looking for any slightest opportunity to turn South East to another theatre of war.”
OYC which said its leadership “is in touch with the federal government” on securing release for Kanu, assured that the Radio Biafran Director would soon regain his freedom as “ the negotiations with the federal government are at the final stage”.
Source: Today
