The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has castigated the Minister of Information and Culture Lai-Mohammed for justifying amnesty to bandits, while proscription tag on IPOB remains unrevoked.
The Minister had disclosed, on Wednesday while speaking on AIT Kakaki, that granting amnesty to bandits, drug Baron, and militant was never a new thing, and not unique in the country. According to him, “bandits and others who challenge the security of a nation cannot be legally proscribed since they do not have identity.
You proscribe known groups with names, you can’t just proscribe an unknown group legally. Secondly, it is not whether they are proscribed or not , it is the way they are treated. Does the government treat them with kids gloves? the answer is ‘no'”.
Speaking on the proscription of IPOB by the Nigeria government, Mohammed pointed out a clear difference between bandits and the group, noting that “When a group is championing a course for the disintegration of Nigeria, a group like IPOB does not recognize Nigeria as a state, sets up its own army and think it’s a sovereign State. It is different from bandits and criminals. Please, don’t compare apples and oranges.”
Reacting, IPOB through its Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful described the Minister’s utterances as “disgraceful”.
He said, “The Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanuvhas noted with great amazement, a disgraceful statement credited to the Zoo’s minister of information, Lai Mohammed, that he supports amnesty for bandits.
“Justification of Nigeria black market proscription of a peaceful movement like IPOB instead of bandits and other terrorist group rampaging the north and ravaging the south is the height of hypocrisy, condeming the minister and Nigeria government for making terrorist thrive in the country, while peaceful agitators like outlawed IPOB and it’s members are victimized.
He described Nigeria as a terrorist sponsoring nation; endorsing amnesty for Bandits who kills innocent citizens of Nigeria, while disapproving IPOB agitation for freedom.
Powerful stated that Lai Mohammed has shown they wee representing the bandits, and should be held accountable for heinous attrocities of the Fulani bandits ravaging Nigeria.
Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News
