Enugu: The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday officialy reacted to the quit notice served on Ndigbo in the North, just as Northern women under the platform of Jam’iyar Matan Arewa has joined to condemn the quit notice by the Arewa Youths.
The pro-Biafra group expressed opposition to calls for the arrest of the Arewa Youths and Ango Abdulahi of the Northern Elders’ Forum.
Instead, it welcomed the ultimatum and asked Igbos to start relocating immediately.
A statement by the IPOB’s director of media and publicity, Comrade Emma Powerful read in full:
“We the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s leadership worldwide wish to sincerely thank the Arewa Elders Forum(AEF), Arewa Youths and Arewa Consultative Forum for seeing sense in what IPOB has been saying about the need for a referendum to be conducted in Nigeria to decide the fate of the component ethnic nationalities criminally lumped together by the British in 1914.
“Biafrans in general also wish to thank these vocal Northerners for at least having the courtesy to issue advance warning this time before embarking on their routine massacre of Igbos and other Biafrans living in Northern Nigeria; unlike what their fathers did in 1966 when death, destruction and mayhem were unleashed upon unsuspecting innocent civilian populations from the South comprising of mostly Igbo men, women and children. Igbo massacres in Northern Nigeria has occurred so many times that it has almost become some sort of an annual sporting activity for blood thirsty Northern youths. That is why we are particularly grateful to Arewa Youths and Elders for having the decency to give us prior notice before the slaughter commences.
“We promise to adhere to your warning to leave Northern Nigeria because a word is enough for the wise. Biafrans and other Southerner should start packing their properties to come down to the South. We also advice the Northern youths and their Elders to keep it on because all they have done is exercise their right to free speech which is not a crime under any law known to man. We are therefore against those calling for the arrest of these Arewa Youths and their Elders.
“It is abundantly evident from the genocidal statements coming from certain influential segments of Northern Nigeria that the British socio-political experimentation and economic fraud we know today as Nigeria, should not have been created in the first place. IPOB is very much aware of the covert blackmail and implied threat inherent in the utterances emanating from Islamic Northern Nigeria.
“Furthermore, the assumption that economic investments of Biafrans in the Northern part of the contraption called Nigeria is an impediment to Biafra restoration project is misguided and most definitely misplaced. This is cheap blackmail designed to trigger rancour among Biafra populations because the North have always assumed and wrongly too, that Igbos will place economic well being over and above their life. This assumption is based on a false premise and one we are determined to prove same as events unfold in the coming weeks and months.
“IPOB under the divine leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the instrument Chukwu Okike Abiama (God Almighty) is using to restore Biafra, therefore we are not afraid of our enemies, neither will any threat or violence from any quarter deter us. We remain peaceful in our noble quest to restore Biafra but we must caution that we always retain the right as a people to defend ourselves should the need arise.
“The civilised world is aware that we IPOB have been adopting peaceful means to restore Biafra since 2014. It is the Arewa Islamic Northern Nigeria dominated Army, Police, Navy and Civil Defence that has brought torture, killings, massacres and mayhem to communities and populations in the South. Till date, nobody has been held to account despite the existence of a comprehensive Amnesty International report to this effect.
“We are aware that these Northern youths and their sponsors, Britain, have perfected plans to begin another round of killing of innocent people as the did in 1966. We advise them not to make this mistake because Britain will no longer protect Islamic Northern Nigeria because in this digital age, the world is watching. Allow Biafrans time to relocate peacefully back to BIAFRALAND, that is all we ask.”
Reacting to the quit notice, the women had described the action of the youths behind the order as “unfortunate development”, as they had failed to understand the importance of peaceful coexistence.
They ask them sheath their swords of acrimony against the Igbos residing in the northern region.
A statement issued by its Interim President and former deputy governor of Kaduna State, Mrs. Pamela Sadauki, said, “We of the JMA as mothers, wives and sisters have read with a heavy heart the agitations for the breakup of our dear Nation by our youth and we wish to appeal to them for calm and peaceful coexistence.
“JMA therefore wishes to draw the attention of everyone in this great Illation to this very unfortunate development. Given the unfortunate situation that we have found ourselves today, we are hopeful that our youths will be bridge builders and patriotic towards our Nation building for a peaceful coexistence and not engage in negative agitations that will put our dear nation in jeopardy.
“Our history is full of gruesome scenarios and restlessness that have brought about horrific memories and we must be able to learn from our history to avoid further violence.
“We note some of the frustrating situation arising for the agitation for the breakup, but if you go by the global trend of nation breaking up, these nations still have not found the very core of the need of peace for coexistence.
“Ours can therefore not be different; we must learn from these and come up with viable solutions to our special needs.
“We therefore call on the Government to recognize these agitations and call for a stakeholder’s forum with the sincerity of purpose that would address this very unfortunate situation.
