Elder statesman and chairman, Council of Elders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks launched against some communities in Ebonyi State by people suspected to be herdsmen, calling on the federal government to take urgent steps “to stop there terrorists from attacking Igboland, otherwise Igbos would have no option but to devise means of self defence”.
In a release signed by Chief Iwuanyanwu referring to the Monday March 29, 2021 attacks on Ebonyi communities, he warned that Igbos would no longer accept a situation where people would come and invade and kill the people on their own soil.
In his words, “this incident is very painful. During this invasion by so called herdsmen, lives and property were destroyed. Uptil now the exact number of lives lost is not known, but eye witness reports say over 20 lives were lost. Hundreds of people in Ebonyi State, a sovereign part of Igboland are now homeless”.
Chief Iwuanyanwu stressed that in the spirit of “Onye aghala nwanne ya” in Igbo culture, any attack on any part of Igboland was an attack on the entire Igboland, warning that Igbo would never fold their arms and watch their homes invaded, property destroyed, their wives and daughters raped and killed.
The elder statesman noted that Igbo had earlier expressed their sympathy to victims of terrorist attacks from other parts of the country and would no longer accept any invasion of Igboland by terrorists.
Informing that elders of Igboland, having passed through violence of war, have remained passionate about the peace and unity of Nigeria restructured under a new constitution that could protect every one and create opportunities for every part to develop their God-given potentials for the benefit of their people and the country.
The elders of Igboland, however called on the President-General of Ohanaeze Prof. George Obiozor and chairman of Governors Forum, Governor Dave Umahi, to immediately organize a stakeholders meeting with members of the National Assembly with a mandate to deliberate on ways and means to protect Igbos wherever they live.
The stakeholders meeting will also be required to establish an emergency relief fund that could assist people exposed to terrorist attacks anywhere in Igboland, saying that though Igbo live everywhere in Nigeria yet they had never launched any attack against their host communities.
