Igbo community Russia condemn Killing of IPOB, Igbo youths, says enough is enough
A Community of Ndi Igbo in Russia has said that the unabated killings of Igbo youths and members of Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB by the Nigerian security operatives is enough and would not be tolerated further by Ndi Igbo.
This is coming after IPOB members were attacked in Emene, Enugu state by a combined team of Nigerian security on Sunday, killing 21 IPOB members while severely injuring others.
In a communique signed by Mazi Uchechukwuka Moweta, the Public Relation Officer of Igbo Community Russia after an emergency meeting held on 26th August 2020, the group noted that the Police Commissioner of Enugu State Mr. Ahmed Abdulrahman described the boys as IPOB miscreants and hoodlums, who clashed with the police and paraded some 5 young men as criminals rather than telling the world the truth.
The group urged Gov. Ugwuanyi to as a matter of priority, set up a comprehensive Judicial Panel of Inquiry to unearth the circumstances behind the killings, and also to investigate the allegations leveled against IPOB members by the police.
The statement reads:
“Igbo Community Russia condemns in the strongest terms possible the killing of Igbo Youths and IPOB members holding meeting session in Emene Community, their home town in Enugu State. We are particular about this introduction because the Police Commissioner of Enugu State Mr. Ahmed Abdulrahman described the boys as IPOB miscreants and hoodlums, who clashed with the police and paraded some 5 young men as criminals rather than telling the world the truth.
“The linked videos have proved that a combined military officers as the police commissioner confirmed raided the venue in Emene community where Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB were holding their peaceful and harmless meeting simply “Exercising a lawful gathering”. We can see that the boys bear no arms and ammunition as claimed by the police commissioner.
“The police commissioner has proved the sinister motive of the police to disseminate the Igbos, he alleged that the IPOB members held 2 Secret Police officers from the DSS hostage and the mission of the joined military operation was to rescue the officers and we ask the police commissioner to come up with a verifiable proof the officers held in captivity. He also claimed that IPOB members held some police officers hostage in a building.
“All of these allegations call for inquiry and we are calling on Enugu State Governor Mr. Ugwuanyi in no uncertain terms and as a matter of priority to set up a comprehensive Judicial Panel of Inquiry to unearth the circumstances behind the killings.
“The Judicial Panel of Inquiry shall among other issues investigate as follows:
- To inquire about the said meeting and where it was held
- To inquire if IPOB members were on a street protest.
- Should inquire who invited the police to where the Igbo Youths gathered for their meeting.
- To inquire if they were bearing arms at the time of the raid.”
“The Judicial Panel of Inquiry should also look into the allegations made by the Police Commissioner about the Indigenous People of Biafra members. Thus:
- To inquire on the claimed rampage, Shooting sporadically on the air and setting fire on the road.
- Holding 2 Secret Police Officers DSS hostage
- Holding police officers hostage in a house
- IPOB members’ killing of 2 persons
- Setting ablaze a passerby
- Hacking down of someone, who from his identity looks like a Fulani man
- That IPOB members are militants.”
Speaking on obstruction of justice, the group advised for the redeployment of the Enugu State Police Commissioner.
“On this note, we urge the Inspector General of Police IGP Mr. Mohammed Adamu to redeploy the Enugu State Police Commissioner Mr. Ahmed Abdulrahman to avoid interference or obstruction of justice in the cause of this investigation.
The group went further to say, “We can recall with nostalgia how joint military operations have been carried out in Igbo land from Enugu to Abakiliki, Aba to Owerri, Nkpor to Ozululu, from Port Harcourt to Asaba and recklessly killing our unarmed young men and women without any provocation or at the slightest provocation.
“We are not unmindful of reports on how SARS break into people’s homes at odd hours and indiscriminately arrest young Igbo men and women, detain them without charging them to court and most of the occasions murder them in cold blood, We are aware of police extrajudicial killings in Igbo land, we discovered in several occasions mass graves in our bushes and decomposed corpses littered around our bushes. We have observed how joint military operations are building checkpoints on every inch of Igbo land and we are unequivocally saying that enough is enough.
“It is disheartening to note that Igbo lands have become a hunting ground for the Nigerian military, it has become prohibited to gather for a meeting in Igbo land, Igbo land has become a theater of killing and we are saying that such unsavory repression of our people will no longer be tolerated again. Igbos will not be tagged a terrorist race. We will never again accept the terrorist tag on Igbos.
“We are therefore warning that Igbos worldwide will not fold their hands and watch the military or the government unwarranted, tagging the Igbos as terrorists so as to indiscriminately kill our young men and women, this impunity of killing MUST stop.
“We seize this opportunity to condole the families of those martyred, we console the Indigenous People of Biafra and Igbos in general and warn that Igbos will stop at nothing to protect Igbo land.
Nwada Ugochinyere Onyechere reporting, Obinwannem News
