Jeff Amechi  Agbodo, Onitsha

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described the plot to grant amnesty to Boko Haram sects as a confirmation even to the most ardent supporters of the government that ‘Boko Haram is part and parcel of the present government’.

The group alleged that Boko Haram was a well documented atrocities that propelled Buhari into office and thereby merely reciprocating that very gesture now through the planned  amnesty in the hope that a comprehensive agreement with the group would guarantee him a second term.

A statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, alleged that President Buhari’s “bigoted fundamentalist disposition was as a result of his deep affinity with the tendencies of Boko Haram, the same way he had become beholden to Fulani killer herdsmen that are decimating innocent non Muslim populations across the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria.”

Powerful continued,  “Journalists should also endeavour to seek the reaction of Nnia Nwodo led Ohaneze Ndigbo and South East governors that proscribed peaceful IPOB on this issue of Boko Haram amnesty. What their take is on the supposed release without trial for killers of Igbo people at Mubi and Madala among others. The silence of these groups ie Ohaneze Ndigbo and South Eastern Governors who themselves conspired to invite the Nigerian military to commit mass murder in Afaraukwu Umuahia, Ngwa, Aba and Igweocha (Port Harcourt) should hang their heads in shame”.

“The same Hausa/Fulani rulers they were desperately trying to please by proscribing IPOB activities are now the same people setting free killers of Igbo people in the north without the courtesy of mere consultation to seek their opinion. Hausa Fulani northern leadership are busy protecting those that killed Igbos in the name of Islam while Igbo politicians and Ohaneze Ndigbo are busy helping the same north to kill their own people who are non-violently fighting for their freedom. Where is the morality in the stance of Ohaneze and Southeast governors against IPOB? Let the people and posterity judge them”.

“If anything, the proposed amnesty for Boko Haram terrorists is confirmation that the entire information management machinery of this APC government is run on lies by a bunch of shameless liars led by the Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed. Is this not the same Boko Haram they claim to have defeated five times already, how come they are negotiating permanent ceasefire with them?

“Are we to now believe that Boko Haram was not defeated in the first place after all? It didn’t come to us as a surprise that this Buhari led APC government is now seeking to acknowledge publicly what they have been doing in secret all along, which is granting early release and amnesty to confirmed killers and terrorists.

“There is something about the mindset of this Buhari administration that predisposes it to killers and terrorists. What this move confirms, even to the most ardent supporters of the government is that Boko Haram is part and parcel of the present government.

“Buhari’s bigoted fundamentalist disposition is as a result of his deep affinity with the murderous tendencies of Boko Haram, the same way he has become beholden to Fulani killer herdsmen that are decimating innocent non Muslim populations across the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria. Boko Haram’s well documented atrocities propelled Buhari into office so he is merely reciprocating that very gesture now through this amnesty in the hope that a comprehensive agreement with the terror group will guarantee him a second term.

“As long as some politicians from  Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt are still divided in their respective  approaches to the issue of Nigeria’s existence, the core north will continue to take advantage of their one Nigeria mindset to perpetuate impunity whilst in government,” Powerful stated.