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Buhari Government Has Killed 513 Igbos, Arrested 2,436, 854 Missing In 160 Days—Ohanaeze Ndigbo

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3 years ago

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Within the last 160 days, 513 Igbos has been killed, 2,436 arrested and 854 missing in the ongoing ‘imported’ insecurity challenges in the southeast under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has said.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural group also condemned the refusal of Northern elders to speak against the alleged continued marginalisation of Igbo people.

In a statement signed on Tuesday by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s dot-in-a circle comment targeted at Igbo people.

Last Thursday, Buhari had threatened that his government would mobilise the military and the police to go after the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) accused of disturbing the peace in the South-East region.

He had said IPOB is “just like a dot in a circle and they have nowhere to turn to. They are spread everywhere and they have investments and properties everywhere and in other areas.

“They don’t know what they are doing. How we will handle them is to mobilise the police and the military to go after them.”

Also, Buhari had slammed those calling for the sovereignty of the Biafra and Oduduwa Republics, saying they were ignorant.

But reacting, Ohanaeze described the President’s comment as disastrous, noting that ‘no damage control or image laundering will assuage this collective assault on Ndigbo’.

The group stated that the silence of Northern leaders is proof that they are happy over the position of President Buhari on Southeastern Nigeria.

Isiguzoro noted that Igbo people are emergency experts in all situations and will be a dot in the circle that will swallow nepotistic anarchists and anti-Igbo exponents.

The statement read, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide had charged the leadership of the North to speak out against discrimination against Igbos and divisiveness being created by disastrous declarations of President Muhammadu Buhari describing how the southeast is landlocked and no damage control or image laundering will assuage this collective assault on Ndigbo.

“It appears that there are chains of crafted skirmish programmed to either aggravate the traumas of Ndigbo or remind them of the sordid past a few years ago, and with ‘a dot in a circle’ slogan that was used to pulverize Igbos during the Biafra war that left 3 million people dead, especially women and children. Right now in 160 days, 513 Igbos had been killed, 2,436 arrested and 854 missing in the ongoing ‘imported’ insecurity challenges in the southeast.

“The ‘dot in the circle’ is a new signal to point out that Ndigbo are surrounded or should be taught in the language they should understand, but the fact remains that, the silence of Northern leaders shows that they are happy over the position of President Buhari on Southeastern Nigeria.

We have seen the direction of events and Igbos are not noisy anymore, we are emergency experts in all situations, ‘a dot in a circle’ remains the Bermuda triangular point that will swallow nepotistic anarchists and anti-Igbo exponents.”

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Justice Okamgba is journalist at Grassroots.ng

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Niger State Prisoners Run From Facility After Rainstorm Brings Down Part Of Fencing

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4 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Many prisoners serving time at the Suleja Correctional Centre, located in Suleja Local Government of Niger state, fled the facility after a rainstorm brought down a part of the inner fencing.

This incident happened as a result of the heavy rainfall which fell on Wednesday night. This led to a cell being torn down, providing incarcerated individuals with a chance at freedom.

Reporters gathered that security forces fired many shots in the air, attempting to scare the inmates out of hiding.

While the State Comptroller of Prisons declined to speak to the press, it has been noted that security has been beefed up on the Minna-Suleja and Suleja-Kaduna roads, including the Madalla axis to Abuja road, which is a likely escape route out of the state for the inmates.

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EFCC: Former Governor Of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello Fails To Show Up In Court, Says He Is Scared Of Arrest

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2 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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The embattled immediate past Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, says he would have appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja to answer to the 19-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, but is afraid he would be arrested.

Though Bello was absent for his arraignment today April 23, His team of lawyers addressed the court on his behalf.

A member of his legal team, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, had this to say on his behalf;

“The defendant wants to come to court but he is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head,” Adedipe, SAN, submitted.

Adesipe then appealed to the court to set aside the exparte order of arrest it earlier issued against the former governor. The lawyer contended that as at the time the order of arrest was made, the charge had not been served on his client as required by the law.

He argued that it was only at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday that the court okayed substituted service of the charge on the defendant, through his lawyer.

“As at the time the warrant was issued, the order for substituted service had not been made. That order was just made this morning. A warrant of arrest should not be hanging on his neck when we leave this court,” counsel to the defendant added.

According to him, the Federal Government did not consult the 36 States of the federation before it enacted the EFCC Act through the National Assembly. He argued that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, required the various Houses of Assembly of states to ratify the Act before it could become operative.

“This is a very serious matter that borders on the constitution and the tenets of federalism. It has to be resolved because as it stands, the EFCC is an illegal organization,” Bello’s lawyer added

However, EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, urged the court to refuse the application, insisting that the warrant of arrest should not be set aside until the defendant makes himself available for his trial.

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Nigeria Has Secured $2.25B World Bank Loan With An Interest Rate Of 1% – Minister Of Finance

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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The minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun has announced that Nigeria has secured a $2.25bn World Bank loan with a 1% interest rate.

While speaking at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group on April 20, Edun disclosed that the loan was approved by the board of directors of the World Bank, and offers a 40-year term, a 10-year moratorium, and a one percent interest rate.

He said;

“If you look at the fact that we have qualified for the processing, just this week to the board of directors of the World Bank of a total package of $2.25 billion.

“There is no such thing as a free lunch but it is the closest you can get to free money. It is virtually a grant. It is about 40 years, 10 years moratorium and about one percent interest. That also is part of the flow that you can count.”

He added that Nigeria also secured similar budgetary support and low-interest funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB). Edun said;

“Clearly, there are also ongoing discussions with foreign direct investors. Some of these things take longer than you expect but they are relatively advanced discussions on major foreign direct investments flows into the country, specific transactions with specific companies, institutions, and authorities.”

This news has however stirred different reactions from citizens as not everyone agrees with the idea of Nigeria borrowing money.

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