IPOB condemns constant attacks on Igbo, demands corpses of those killed in Aba

By Phil Okose, Onitsha

Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Sunday, condemned the constant attack on Igbo and demanded for the corpses of those massacred in Aba for befitting burial and immediate release of 150 arrested

It recalled that the Nigeria government and its security agencies especially their army and police allowed the Shiite Islamic group who protested peacefully twice in Abuja to do so without humiliation or attack, but murdered IPOB  members who were protesting  peacefully in Aba, Abia State for asking for the unconditional release of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on the 3rd of April 2023.

Making the condemnation through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB said that it was on record that Ndigbo were not wanted in Nigeria due to the hatred shown to them and as such, should organize ourselves immediately and leave Nigeria for the other nationalities who are allowed to act freely in Nigeria.

“We are not wanted in Nigeria as it has been demonstrated by the Fulani government of Nigeria. On the 30th of March, the members of the Islamic Shiite Movement of Nigeria, embarked on a peaceful protest around the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, to compel the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to release the seized international passport of their leader -Sheik Ibrahim El Zakzaky, to enable him to travel out of  the country for a medical treatment.

“During this peaceful protest within the FCT, the combined team of the Nigeria security agents led by the Nigeria Police Force, visited the protesters and peacefully dispersed the crowd with mere teargas, and nothing more. There were no casualties recorded, and no arrests were made.

“On the 6th day of April 2023, the members of the Islamic Shiites Movement of Nigeria again embarked on another peaceful protest within the FCT. And again, no arrests were made, and no casualties were recorded.

“On the 3rd day of April 2023, members of the non-violent Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), staged a peaceful protest in Aba, Abia state to demand for the release of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is still being illegally and unconstitutionally detained in solitary confinement at the facility and dungeon of the Department of State Services, (DSS), headquarters in Abuja, in violation of the order of the Court of Appeal that directed that he should be unconditionally released from the DSS custody and should not be sued in any court in Nigeria again.

” We are calling on the American State Department, the UK government, its home office, the GTI group, and other reputable Western world institutions to observe the things that the Nigeria government is  doing to Ndigbo in Nigeria. We ask that the world will not blame us when we start to employ self-defense,” he stated.

“He lamented that the members of IPOB who were peacefully protesting were brutally attacked by the same combined team of the Nigeria security agents led by the Nigeria Police Force, hinting that dring the bloody attack on the non-violent and unarmed protesters, 50 persons were gruesomely murdered in broad day light, and five dead bodies were confiscated by the Nigerian security agents.

The spokesman added further that over one 150 persons were arrested and taken to an undisclosed location, and until today,  they have not been seen.

,”Unfortunately, for a similar peaceful protest, the non-violent members of IPOB were not dispersed with teargas but brutally attacked, killed, corpses confiscated, and harmless protesters arrested and taken to undisclosed locations. Where is fairness in this matter. Sadly and unfortunately, this goes to clearly reveal that there are different laws for different groups and nationalities in Nigeria.

“We are, therefore, calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria and other international  bodies and  communities especially Amnesty International and other reputable human rights organizations across the globe to wade into the recent genocidal massacre in Aba, Abia State and call Nigeria security agents to order. You must them  direct for the immediate release of the corpses of those killed to their families for proper burial, as well as the immediate release of the 150 peaceful protesters arrested and taken away,” he demanded.