Enugu massacre : Ohanaeze youths, MASSOB spit fire, threaten revenge if…, issue 7-day ultimatum
From Steve Oko, Umuahia
Ohanaeze Youths Council, OYC; and the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, respectively, have expressed fury over Sunday’s massacre of members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra , IPOB, at Emene, near Enugu by the Nigerian security operatives.
Twenty one IPOB members were reportedly killed and 47 arrested by a combined team of the army, police and the Department of Security Services, DSS at Emene Secondary School where the pro-Biafra boys had converged for prayer and exercise.
OYC and MASSOB described the incident as barbaric and an affront to Ndigbo.
OYC National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, in a press statement described the incident as “inhuman and a twin event of 1966 pogrom”.
According to the release, attacking members of IPOB who are Judeo-Christains during their prayer session is “inhumane.”
OYC tasked Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to “urgently institute an unbiased, independent commission of inquiry to unravel the mystery behind the alleged invasion and massacre.”
The statement read in part : “OYC wishes to state unequivocally that the wanton destruction of lives and properties by agitated, DSS, Policemen, Army and other security agencies in Igbo land has reached its elastic limits.
” It baffles one’s imagination how and why security personnel charged with the responsibility of maintaining law, peace and order in the community would now turn themselves into agent provocateurs and violence promoters.
“We call for end to this reocurring use of Igbo citizens as sacrificial lambs in the name of one police or military operation to another.”
The apex Igbo socio-cultural youth body demanded immediate prosecution of all those behind the mass slaughter.
OYC gave the Enugu State Governor seven days to fish out the perpetrators for prosecution otherwise, Igbo youths might be forced to revenge.
“As Nigerian fulani security agents have acted unlawfully killing our brothers, taken law into their hands, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) gives Governor Ugwuanyi Seven (7) days Ultimatum to fish out the perpetuators of Emene massacre as failure to do so will compel Igbo youths to take laws into our hands as we have no way to see Gen. Buhari led federal government.”
The statement also charged security personnel across the country to be civil in dealing with innocent citizens.
“Most of the unwarranted and unprovoked attacks and unpleasant incidences leading to death or injury are being caused by the unprofessional misconduct of security personnel.Caution should not be thrown to the wind when dealing with legitimate citizens of the country”
OYC regretted that “at the peak of insecurity caused by Boko Haram, Bandits, Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers ravaging the country yet, none of fulani herdsmen killers has been arrested, tried or killed, but are being pampered by government.”
“None of fulani herdsmen killers, Boko Haram, Bandits, kidnappers has been arrested, or killed, but are being pampered by President Buhari led -federal government.This is to show that Nigeria has been divided by those claiming they want the country’s unity”.
OYC regretted that similar incident happened in Oraifite sometime December 2019 at the home of IPOB Lead Counsel, Bar. Ejiofor which claimed the lives of many IPOB members including two policemen.
The statement further read that “since the beginning of this contraception called Nigeria, Ndigbo have suffered untold hardship, Injustice, Marginalization, and have become a modern cemetery characterized with Killings and massacre with litany of pool of blood, Northern pogrom 1966, Asaba 1970, Jos1992.”
It said that “what happened in Emene, Enugu on 23rd August was an unprovoked massacre against defenseless citizens of Igbo extraction”.
“According to Intersociety report, this is clearly more than 10th time the Nigerian Security Forces will deliberately execute coordinated massacre targeted at unarmed and defenseless Judeo-Christian citizens of old Eastern Nigeria extraction.
“Such massacres which started on 30th August 2015 had taken place in Onitsha Anambra State, Enugu State, Yenagoa Bayelsa State, Port Harcourt Rivers State, and Asaba in Delta State on 30th August 2015.
“It occurred in Onitsha again on 2nd and 17th December 2015, Aba on 29th January and 9th Feb 2016, Onitsha, Nkpor and Asaba on 29th and 30th May 2016, Port Harcourt on 20th January 2017, Aba, IsialaNgwa, Ogwe and Umuahia on 11th to 14th Sept 2017, Oraifite-Anambra on 2nd December 2019, bringing the total number of such massacres to at least 15 involving current killing of now over 500 defenseless Judeo-Christian citizens of old Eastern Nigeria extraction and injuring of over 550 others”
OYC further claimed that “the killings are deliberate, planned and well calculated plot against Ndigbo by some group of people who see the Igbo as enemies hence the misleading justification from some leadership of the security agencies in the country”.
“The Emene-Enugu killing was yet another mass murder. And the Police and others involved have shamelessly concocted same lies and toddler imagination to further justify ethnic cleansing against Ndigbo”
OYC warned Nigeria government that “deliberate killing of Innocent pro- Biafrans might lead to after event of 1966 pogrom, if the secessional operation of DSS, Army and Police repeat in Igbo land”.
MASSOB, in its reaction, described it as the worst barbaric and primitive reactionary measure of a combined security agents of Nigeria against the perceived enemies of President Mohammadu Buhari’s kinsmen called the fulanis”.
The group in a statement by its Leader, Uchenna Madu, strongly condemned the attack and warned that pro -Biafra groups would no longer tolerate unprovoked attacks against their members.
“The loosed venom of pathological hatred by this present administration against Ndigbo and Christians in general on Sunday in Enugu further proved our earlier revealed conspiracious plot to backward the political emancipation of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
” It is a well-known fact that all pro Biafra agitators including MASSOB, IPOB, EPC, BNYL, BIM, MOBIN etc are non violent and armless groups. It is also on records that none of these groups has indulged in acts of terrorism, violence or killings.
“Why should the Nigerian Fulani led police embark on a deceitful mission of blackmailing the armless and non violence members of IPOB that they were engaged in firing spree with the agents of DSS that led to the combine team of Nigeria armed security forces to heavily descend on them in a war like on their meeting at Emene, Enugu on Sunday which resulted on the death of innocent and defenceless citizens of Biafra.
“What happened in Enugu on Sunday between IPOB and combined security forces of Nigeria was not a clash or a confrontation but a systematic plotted acts of terrorism, hatched and orchestrated by the presidency to inflict a demonized fear that will succumb and demoralize the surging rise, clamour and support for Biafra and Nigeria President of Igbo extraction.
“They fronted the DSS to provoke the armless members of IPOB to an assault but IPOB members declined to fall into their trap, but because it was a designed mission that must be accomplished, the DSS opened fire on defenceless citizens, the police, army and Air Force immediately joined them in the brutality of IPOB members and terrorizing the inhabitants of Enugu city.”
MASSOB drew the attention of Igbo political leaders “irrespective of their political party or affiliation that they are the main target of this latest assault”.
According to MASSOB, “It is against the political emancipation of Ndigbo in Nigeria. It is about 2023 general election. It is all about wounding the morale of Igbo socio political leaders. It is about creating fears into the populace of Ndigbo towards 2023. Ndigbo must rise now in defence of our father land. An injustice to an Igbo person is injustices against all Igbos irrespective of political differences.
“The presidency is using Pro Biafra agitators as their testing ground of wounding and inflicting injurious blow that will demoralize the chances of Igbo political emancipation in 2023.
“They knew that pro Biafra agitators are a heavy factors to be reckoned with in 2023 towards Igbo political emancipation”.
MASSOB reiterated its earlier resolve that “no amount of treacherous and subtle clampdown, attacks, killings, arrests, mesmerization, prosecution by the way Nigeria state will deter us from the Biafra actualization and restoration struggle.”
Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria. 
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