The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has lambasted the South East Governors Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other prominent leaders in the region for their seeming silence on the alleged plight of pro-Biafra groups in the hands of the Nigerian government.
IPOB, in a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, described as hypocritical and belated the statement credited to the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, over the detention of women members of IPOB in Owerri, Imo State.
The statement reads, “The attempt by Nnia Nwodo to endear himself to the wider public through his latest hypocritical press statement, has failed woefully.
“If the aim is to milk the goodwill of our people still basking in the euphoria of the release of our mothers who were illegally abducted, shamefully detained and humiliated by the Nigerian state, he has failed woefully.
“Where was Nwodo the day our mothers and grandmothers were corralled into a stinking prison by a Fulani Police Commissioner working on the orders of his fellow northerner Rochas Okorocha?
“Why didn’t he personally issue a statement? He didn’t because he was gloating that our mothers will suffer in detention as a way of getting back at IPOB. Those he spoke to told IPOB his exact words.
“His belated statement is too late and will not absolve him of his role in the ongoing persecution, murder and proscription of IPOB.
“When well meaning people all over the world, including Oby Ezekwesili, a certain northern governor and presidential aspirant, were busy condemning the atrocious detention of innocent Igbo mothers, Nwodo and all Igbo governors maintained their usual slavish silence for fear of offending their northern masters. Ike Ekweremadu never uttered a word either. But his chieftaincy title is Ikeoha, which means the warrior of the people.
“We the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Worldwide reaffirm our previous stance that the silence of South East governors, Ohaneze leadership, Igbo politicians and front line traditional rulers, in the face of such overwhelming humiliation of an entire race, is confirmation that Biafraland in general and Igboland in particular is a conquered and occupied territory, superintended by a cowardly class of traitors answerable to Fulani caliphate.
“For Nwodo’s information and that of Rochas Okorocha with his Fulani led Imo State Police Command, the arrest of our mothers is illegal.
“Therefore, the idea of sounding magnanimous in press statements is downright foolish. IPOB always win every court case against Nigeria, hence no single conviction has ever been secured against us till date and they never will.
“When you cheer your oppressors, as Nnia Nwodo, Igbo governors and politicians seem to enjoy doing anytime IPOB family members are detained illegally, you forfeit every authority to speak on behalf of the people because IPOB is the people and people is IPOB.
“Nnia Nwodo of Ohaneze Ndigbo and their fellow collaborators never uttered a word when our mothers were abducted, tortured, humiliated and spat on by Fulani controlled Nigerian Police.
“They are now glibly mouthing their usual nonsense to deceive the gullible and shore up their battered image.
“We remind Nnia Nwodo that we have not forgotten the massacre at Afaraukwu on 14 September 2017. We also wish to remind him that it was Igbo governors that proscribed IPOB first, not Aso Rock, as he would like to have the people believe
“Was it not the same Nnia Nwodo that stood on the steps of Enugu Government House alongside Igbo governors to proscribe IPOB at the same time Buratai’s Fulani soldiers were busy killing innocent youths inside Nnamdi Kanu’s compound?
“Terrorist tag against IPOB came after Igbo governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo first proscribed the movement. It was Nnia Nwodo, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma and Chief Guy Ikokwu a Lagos based informant and errand boy, that shared money donated by Igbo governors to corrupt Igbo traditional rulers at Nike Lake Resort Enugu on or around the 15th of September 2017 to support the proscription of IPOB.
“Sadly, Igbo traditional rulers led by Eze Eberechi Dick, who is a personal friend of Buhari’s cousin Mamman Daura, presided over this process of shame.
“We are not unaware that it was Nnia Nwodo that personally appealed to the commander of 82 Division Enugu and Abba Kiyari the real power behind Buhari-Jubril to launch Operation PYTHON DANCE. They think they are smart and we IPOB uninformed. It is in the open that same Nnia Nwodo and co are responsible for the impending Operation PYTHON DANCE 3.
“It is instructive that Nnia Nwodo admitted that northern governors protected treasonous Arewa Youths. Compare that to the treatment of IPOB by Igbo governors and understand that Igboland has been sold to the north.
“Nnia Nwodo keeps using the language that IPOB are his children whilst forgetting that four of our kidnapped mothers released from Owerri prisons are older than him.
“We especially commend Amnesty International, Intersociety, World Jewish Council, SERAP, social media activists, commentators, men and women of goodwill that stood up to defend the constitutional right to freedom of assembly.
“Shame on all Igbo governors, politicians and traditional rulers that were so terrified of the Fulani caliphate they couldn’t defend their own mothers.
“Only now, after our mothers have been released have they found their voice. There is a popular Igbo adage that reads, nwoke lucha ogu, nwanyi enwere akuko. In the case of Nnia Nwodo it is now umunwayi IPOB lucha ogu, umunwoke Ohaneze enwere akuko. How the mighty has fallen,” the statement noted
