From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Igbo Community Leaders Network has berated Abubakar Malami (SAN), minister for justice and attorney general of the federation, over his recent statement claim that the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) was responsible for the death of Dr Chike Akunyili and 175 security agents .
The group said rather than the minister to concentrate his efforts on proving the allegations against the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in the criminal trial already in court, he has adopted media trial and propaganda to incite Nigerians and the international community against Igbo.
In a communiqué issued after their meeting in Owerri, Imo State, and signed by the South East Regional Coordinator and Secretary, Survival Nwachinaemere and Chief Chukwubuikem Udokanma, respectively, the group was particularly irked by Malami’s allegation IPOB killed Dr. Chike Akunyili and 175 security agents.
“We note that he (Malami) is already prosecuting this matter in court and we wonder why the media trial and conviction is being adopted by the Attorney General, instead of concentrating on the legal trial and conviction.
“The Federal Government is aware that the unknown gunmen, perpetrating these criminal atrocities in the South East, killing prominent Igbo people and destroying police and INEC infrastructures, are the state sponsored fifth columnists and herdsmen.
“They are acting under the protection of the Nigerian security agencies. They are already at work in Anambra State, planning to frustrate the forthcoming governorship election, so as to blame it on Nnamdi Kanu.
“The false allegations point to the fact that the Federal Government is merely attempting and struggling to manufacture evidence to portray Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB, and by extension, all Igbo as terrorists, in order to have a justification to carry out an already planned military attack against Ndigbo.”
The group tasked the Federal Government to investigate, articulate and publish the number of persons killed and villages sacked by bandits and herdsmen activities in various parts of Nigeria, from 2015 to date as well as the list of persons charged to court, as a result of the criminal activities.
The group also sought to know “the bandits and/or unknown gunmen arrested and are being prosecuted in court, for the attack on Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna, which led to the killing of military officers, including an officer of Igbo extraction; the attack on military establishments in Niger State and the attack on the Correctional Centre in Oyo State, among others.”
The group then reminded government that by empirical evidence, investment and development patterns, most Nigerians would agree that Igbo are the most hospitable and detribalised people in Nigeria, who believe in true unity of the country, based on equity, justice and fair treatment for all.