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IPOB Alleges Killings of Biafrians in Benue
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has alleged that Biafrans of Igbo extraction in Benue State have been abandoned and rendered defenseless in what it described as a pogrom by Fulani Islamic Jihadists.
In a statement made available to journalists on Friday in Awka by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group described the situation as heart-breaking.
IPOB said important questions must be asked as to why governors Dave Umahi, Rochas Okorocha, Okezie Ikpeazu, Willie Obiano and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi with the support of Ohaneze Ndigbo President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, “publicly and illegally announced the proscription of IPOB when they knew the threat Biafran communities in Benue faced from Fulani terrorists.”
The statement reads: “There are four local government areas in Benue State namely, Ado, Oju, Okpoku and Obi that is quintessentially Biafra, of pure Igbo extraction.
“No Igbo politician, Ohaneze Ndigbo or governor has ever fought for these communities, they surrendered to the North after the war, to be reintegrated with Enugu or Ebonyi State as it should be.
“They (Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo political class) are afraid of offending their Hausa Fulani masters that gerrymandered our people away from the East and made them Northerners overnight by placing them in Benue State. Today these Igbo communities, Ukum local government, Obi local government, Ogu local government and Okpokwu local government areas are being hunted like wild beasts by Fulani terrorists in their Igbo ancestral lands with nobody rising to their defence.
“The proscription of IPOB by the Hausa-Fulani slaves in red caps and their active support for Operation Python Dance was what gave impetus to Fulani terrorists disguised as herdsmen to attack Biafran communities in Benue with such ferocity and impunity.
“Knowing fully well that only IPOB had and still has the capability to checkmate these bands of marauding killers from the Sahel, why did Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo governors proscribed IPOB activities in the manner they did? It is clear whose interest they were serving when they banned IPOB activities across Igboland.”
IPOB further called on Ebonyi State Governor and his Enugu counterpart as well as the Ohanaeze President-General not to openly or covertly sabotage ongoing efforts by IPOB to protect indigenous Igbo Biafrans in Benue State.
The group noted that if they do, it will confirm to the world that they are helping the Fulani caliphate consolidate their stranglehold on Igboland in particular and Biafraland in general.
Continuing, the statement said: “Should Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo governors in any way undermine our efforts to defend our people in Benue, it would be confirmation that they have outlived their usefulness and must be proscribed because their continued existence is putting our survival as a race in jeopardy.
“Those we are defending are ethnic Igbo people they Ohanaeze Ndigbo wrongfully allowed to be carved into Benue State. These indigenous communities in Benue State are known as the Umuezeokoha people.
“In the past, some misinformed people sponsored by Arewa Consultative Forum/Northern Elders Forum like Paul Unongo ignorantly spoke about IPOB trying to annex other people’s land in Benue State. Both him and his controllers from the Sahel failed to recognise the sizable amount of Igbo land that were cut off from the East and placed in the North as northern communities.
“IPOB will not abandon or surrender any single Biafran community in Benue State as was the case in the past. Idoma, Igede and Umuezeokoha people are all Biafrans and deserve our protection.”
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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