*As Ohanaeze Youths, MASSOB threaten revenge
*Abaribe demands Judicial Commission of Inquiry
* Citizens owe no loyalty to brutal govt, says Apostle Suleman
By Emma Okereh (Group News Editor), Williams Orji, Steve Oko (Umuahia) and Myke Uzendu (Abuja)
The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), has blamed with it described as “silence and inaction” by the British government, the United States of America, and the media for “the killing spree and genocide by both terrorist organisations and security operatives in Nigeria”.
This is as the Ohanaeze Youths Council (OYC) and the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), respectively, expressed fury over Sunday’s killings of “unarmed members” of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), at Emene, Enugu by security operatives.
On his part, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Senator representing Abia-South Senatorial Zone, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, condemned the killings, describing the actions of security operatives as “barbaric and stone age mentality”.
Twenty one IPOB members, including two operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) were killed, while 47 IPOB members were arrested by combined team of the Army, Police and the DSS at the Practicing School, Emene where the proscribed pro-Biafra activists had converged for their Jewish prayer and physical exercise.
MASSOB and the OYC in describing the incident as “barbaric and an affront to Ndigbo”, called on members of the outlawed group to defend themselves if attacked again by the security.
President of the OYC, Ambassador Arthur Obiora, in a statement described the killing as “carnage and an unprovoked genocide that must be accounted for”.
He insisted that “those behind the dastardly act as well as their sponsors must be fished out and made to bear the consequences of their beastly action at the appropriate time”.
He claimed they are consulting with state governors of South-East extraction, political leaders, traditional rulers and socio-cultural groups, so as to come with a position on the killing of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
Also, a human rights activist and pro-democracy advocate, Comrade Paul Njoku, said that the attack on IPOB members “is regrettable and unacceptable”.
He condemned the use of “lethal force against this non-violent group whilst pampering violent murderous militia herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram terrorists”.
*Abaribe demands Judicial Commission of Inquiry over the killing
Meanwhile, the Senate Minority Leader said the “barbaric killing of unarmed civilians could only be imagined in the stone age”, adding that the constancy of the killings “has given room to wide suspicion of a sinister motive”.
He also warned that the branding of every Igbo group “as terrorists and the incessant killings of her youths by the security operatives have become one too many and is no longer acceptable to our people.”
In a statement by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom in Abuja, he demanded the setting up of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry by the Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to “unravel the truth in the assertions of both the security and other groups on what really happened.”
He said it was “regrettable and shameful that security operatives seem to derive pleasure at any slight whim to unleash mayhem using the most lethal weapons against unarmed Igbo youths at every turn”.
He insisted that the country being in democratic regime, “every agency of government, particularly the security apparatchik, must adhere strictly to rules of engagement with regards to dealings with the civil populace in such a manner that will be in conformity with international best practices.
“The last time I checked, Nigerians still enjoy freedom to associate freely. Nobody has told us that the Igbo youths meeting last Sunday was a gathering meant to launch attack on anybody.
“Incontrovertible reports suggest very strongly that the killings were ignited when the security operatives stormed the venue of that peaceful meeting, not that the youths marched to anywhere to attack anybody. These are the issues that should be addressed at the panel”.
“I would not want to believe that the wide card labeling of every Igbo youth group as terrorists is a cover to achieve a predetermined plot.
“Let it not be that we now have an army of occupation in South-East, working clandestinely to create fears and state of anomie in a region that has remained perhaps the most peaceful in the country,” he said.
*MASSOB spit fire, threaten revenge if…
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), described the incident as barbaric and an affront on Ndigbo.
MASSOB, reacting, said it is the “worst barbaric and primitive reactionary measure against perceived enemies of President Mohammadu Buhari’s kinsmen”.
In a statement by its Leader, Uchenna Madu, the group condemned the attack and warned that pro -Biafra groups would no longer tolerate unprovoked attacks against their members.
He stated: “It is a well-known fact that all pro Biafra agitators including MASSOB, IPOB, EPC, BNYL, BIM, MOBIN, etc, are non-violent and armless groups. It is also on records that none of these groups has indulged in acts of terrorism, violence or killings.
“Why should the Nigeria Police embark on a deceitful mission of blackmailing the armless and non-violence members of IPOB that the combine team of Nigeria armed security forces to heavily descend on them in a war-like manner during their meeting at Emene, Enugu on Sunday, which resulted on the death of innocent and defenseless citizens.
“They fronted the DSS to provoke the armless members of IPOB to an assault but IPOB members declined to fall into their trap, but because it was a designed mission that must be accomplished, the DSS opened fire on defenceless citizens, the police, army and Air Force immediately joined them in the brutality of IPOB members and terrorizing the inhabitants of Enugu.
“It is about the political emancipation of Ndigbo in Nigeria. It is about 2023 general election. It is all about wounding the morale of Igbo socio political leaders. It is about creating fears into the populace of Ndigbo towards 2023.
*US, UK blamed for the killings
Meanwhile, IPOB in a statement titled:”Enough is Enough” issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, urged the US and UK to take immediate action against the escalating killing of indigenous Nigerians by both terrorists and security operatives.
They called for the designation of the Nigerian security forces as international terror group, for killing “innocent citizens more than all the terror groups put together”.
They blamed what they called “biased media reports” for the persistence of killings, wondering “why media organisations would report an unprovoked attack on unarmed persons as a ‘clash between the victims and their invaders’.
“Such mind-boggling journalism and silence of UK & US diplomatic missions to Nigeria is proof that this ongoing Muslim extermination of Judeo-Christian Biafrans has the official backing of both countries. @UK in Nigeria is aiding and abetting murderous Fulani conquest of Biafraland.
* Citizens owe no loyalty to clueless, brutal govt, says Apostle Suleman
On his part, Apostle Johnson Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries accused the government of failing in its duty of protecting Nigerians.
Suleman accused government of violating pre-existing social contract with Nigerians.
In a tweet, the clergyman noted that the citizenry is not obligated to respect and obey a government that violates its social contract.
He Tweeted: “The citizenry owes no patriotism to a brutal/clueless leadership, loyalty is only on the premise of leadership fulfilling its pre-existing social contract in which the state protects the people in exchange for their loyalty, as it stands now, there is a breach of trust.”
