Northern group tackles Ohanaeze over secession comments

By Philip Clement

The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG has reacted to the recent remark by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo over the Igbo secession bid, describing it as a hypocritical attempt to divert the attention of the country.

A statement by CNG’s Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, says
“It is no longer in doubt that the current violent agitations and disturbances over Biafra is clearly an agenda with a wholesome backing from every component of the Igbo community in Nigeria and in the Diaspora including Ohanaeze.

“It is therefore, the peak of hypocrisy for the Ohanaeze at this point, to attempt to distance itself from the ongoing violence and crime against humanity whereas it has been silent all the while Northerners living in the South-East are daily harassed, attacked, murdered in cold blood, and their properties destroyed.

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“Prior to this, hundreds of our people have suffered similar fate in the hands of the increasingly emboldened Igbo terrorists since 2017, though largely deliberately under-reported by the traditionally hostile section of the Southern Nigerian media whose intrinsic bias manifests whenever matters that affect the North are reported or commented on.

“As evidence of an agenda that has its root and pattern in our history, Ohanaeze was also silent in the face of the clear danger and threat against the country posed by the assortment of Igbo armed groups that attack the nation’s security assets and personnel and other democracy structures at will.

“We wonder where Ohanaeze was when in the last one week alone, three major incidences of arson and looting against properties belonging to Northern traders were perpetrated in the South-East.

“Their calumny became so glaring in the mischievous way they, and all Igbo leaders deliberately remained silent when last weekend, a truck of onions with about 500 bags of the commodity was ransacked in Owerri. Around the same time, two trucks conveying palm oil from Enugu to Kano were intercepted and razed in Nsukka, and another truck delivering livestock to Anambra was burnt down along with the animals it carried in the streets of Awka,” Sulieman charged.

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He warned that “The North will no longer remain passive under such deliberate and sustained attacks on its people, nor be disposed any longer to relating with the Igbo as federating partners and shall take every measure to realize Biafra so that the Igbo will leave and peace would reign again,” Suleiman added.

As at the time of filing this report, Daily Times could not get the reaction of the Ohanaeze as their spokesman could not be reached.

However the group in different fora have maintained their stand against secession agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu.