Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has given reasons why he is not in support of the agitation for Biafra.
The Abia state governor said the population of Igbos living outside of their states are over 11 million and as such, activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) put the lives of south-easterners at risk.
Ikpeazu said this in Abuja on Tuesday, September 19, the Cable reports.
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While highlighting the spread of people from southeast, the governor noted that there are Igbo people even in Sambisa forest, a stronghold of the Boko Haram sect in Borno state.
He said: “I want to announce that the population of Igbo outside the Igbo enclave is about 11.6 million; you don’t play with the lives of 11.6 million people.”
“We all have to be careful, the press, the leadership at the state level and at the federal level, everybody. We are still working on stabilising and sustaining the fragile peace that we enjoy now.
“I swore with the Bible to protect lives and property; because I take such oath very seriously, I will continue to protect the lives and property of our brothers and sisters irrespective of where they come from.
“I do not see how, as an Igbo man, boxing myself into a smaller geographic entity will help the cause of the most widely travelled people in Nigeria.
“There are Igbo in Sambisa (forest); what are you expecting of them if I narrow their geography of coverage.
“But agitation, marginalisation and infrastructure deficiencies, these are issues which are germane and they can be discussed, spoken about and addressed.”
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