Following the recent face-off between members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Nigerian military in Abia State, the South East Renewal Group (SERG) has blamed Nnamdi Kanu as the root cause of the tension in the region.
The development has forced the state government to declare three days of curfew in the commercial city of Aba.
Reacting to the incident, SERG called on Igbo leaders of thought not to tarry further in doing the needful to arrest the impending war.
Speaking at a press conference, yesterday, the National President of the group, Charles Mbani, lamented that from his discovery, the IPOB youths have been brainwashed into seeing the army as their enemy. According to him, “You must have, like other Nigerians, watched recent events in Igboland with a sense of foreboding, concern and utmost dread. Images emerging from the southeast, our homeland, are as troubling as they are worrisome.
“These youths are being brainwashed by the so called Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which is now militarising them as its fighting force. These misguided youths have been deceived into thinking they are making the right sacrifice of protecting Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader whereas the only thing they are sacrificing is their lives that they are throwing away on the altar of ignorance.
“The soldiers attacked by these uncouth elements are the ones taking part in Egwu Eke II (Operation Python Dance II), which we find most ridiculous considering that the same operation last year ensured that kidnappers and armed robbers that were desecrating our land were curtailed to a point where Igbo enjoyed peaceful 2016 Yuletide.”
Speaking further, the SERG leader condemned the confrontation with the military in the strongest terms as irresponsible and having no place in a pluralistic country like Nigeria. He said, “We urge other well-meaning elders of our land to join in condemning the incidents. The unnecessary attempt to provoke the military into using stick to address the Biafra issue would be catastrophic and those who love the region should do so well to warn their children from setting the region ablaze.
“May we emphasise that Igbo leaders of thought must tarry no further in doing the needful before it’s too late. The conspiracy of silence on the part of these leaders is what has made Nnamdi Kanu fill the resulting vacuum of leading our youth population astray.
“If nothing urgent is done the next phase in this ugly evolution could threaten our existence as a people.
“We have interrogated the situation and discovered that the IPOB youths have been brainwashed into seeing the army as the enemy, which is most unfortunate since the person whom they think they are defending is their real enemy.
“Nnamdi Kanu holds dual citizenship and will escape to the United Kingdom once he has the opportunity to flee across the border. He is going to leave behind broken bodies and damaged youths that would have destroyed their lives in pursuit of what is meaningless relative to contemporary world reality.”
“We have also noted the role of shameless politicians in Igboland that see the madness being advocated by Nnamdi Kanu as something to be milked for political capital. If violence is activated as being advocated, then forget that our land would burn while other parts of the country continue with their life,” Mbani added.
Meanwhile, Kanu has reportedly backed out of the mediation between his group and the South-East Governors.
Kanu, who had earlier met the governors few days ago, was scheduled to be at the Enugu Government House for a continuation of the dialogue on Friday.
However, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen, Kanu said his security was no longer guaranteed.
The development is not unconnected with the alleged invasion of his house by Nigerian military.
