• S’East elders report attacks on Igbo to global communities

 

From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri and Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

 

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has disowned purported sit-at-home order in Lagos State, saying it was aimed at blackmailing its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful enjoined Igbo residing in Lagos to ignore it completely and go about their businesses.

He said: “IPOB has never issued any sit-at-home order outside Biafraland. Anyone issuing any sit-at-home order in Biafra or in Lagos is on his or her own and not doing so on behalf of Kanu or IPOB.

“Therefore, IPOB publicly disassociate ourselves from any purported sit-at-home call in Lagos or anywhere in Nigeria, including Biafra land at this time. Any day IPOB issues a sit-at-home order, the reasons for the order will be made public, and it will be observed only in Biafra region and any other region that may like to join.

“We use this medium to ask the public and particularly, Ndigbo in Lagos to ignore and disregard this falsehood because IPOB did not order a sit-at-home in Lagos.”

Meanwhile, worried by the continual attack of Igbo traders in Lagos State after the elections, elders in the zone, under the aegis of the Igbo Senior Citizens Affairs Foundation (ISCAF), have appealed to the international communities to wade into the crisis before it snowballs into an ethnic disturbance.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, its president, Maglorious Enyioha, lamented how traders have been unjustly treated while carrying out their daily business activities. He said Igbo in Lagos have lost millions of naira to the various attacks but noted they have been constantly restrained from taken a revenge.

Enyioha, who emphasised that the Igbo are peace loving people, vowed they would remain in the country despite the ill-treatment they have been subjected to, even as he called on President Muhammadu Buhari to compensate them before leaving office.

He said: “We have been appealing to the youths not to enter any form of demonstration or action that will cause breach of peace in the country but unfortunately, they’re being pushed to the wall, they’re molested and their properties destroyed.

“That’s why we are appealing to the leaders of the world to intervene in the present state of the nation, so they can see how they will call things to order before it triggers off to what we can not control.

“What happened in Lagos State recently means Igbo are rejected in their own country, we are supposed to start seeing the action of the Federal Government. Mr. President should intercede and not wait for the incoming administration.

“We, from the East, are peace makers, kind and love developing anywhere we are. Igbo are everywhere but today what is happening in the country is alarming. We demand equal right, liberty and equity because we jointly owned the nation.”

On the 2023 presidential election, Enyioha said Nigerians irrespective of their tribes came out to exercise their franchise but regretted their expectations have not been met.

Enyioha, who is also the general overseer of Friend of Jesus Global Mission Incorporated, reiterated the call for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and affirmed his release will douse a lot of tension in the zone and country.