Insecurity: Igbo elders petition UN, EU, ECOWAS, UK, others

Members of the Igbo Elders Council (EIC) have called on the international community to intervene and save the South-East region from what it called an ethnic genocide.

The IEC made its position known in a petition addressed to the international community including the United Nations Permanent Representative, European Union Permanent Representative and United States Ambassador to Nigeria.

The group alleged that the current military onslaught against the Igbo in an attempt to clamp down on members of the disbanded Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN) would not bring the much needed peace and stability in the region in particular and Nigeria in general.

According to them, the conduct of the security agencies in the South-East and some parts of South-South is in contravention of any known rules of military/security engagement.

The letter, dated June 15, 2021 and titled ‘Enough of bloodletting and senseless killings of Igbos in the South East,’ was signed by a former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife (chairman); a former Minister of Education, Prof Ihechukwu Madubuike; Prof C.E. Nwekeaku (Secretary); Onwu Arua Onwu (Chairman of Ohanaeze in Federal Capital Territory); and Eze Ibe Nwosu (Igbo 1 of ABUJA).

The letter drew the attention of the international community on what it described as “the unprecedented bloodletting, carnage and senseless killings of the Igbos especially the youths in the South-East by the security agencies.”

While appealing for their urgent intervention “for the sake of peace and stability of the country,” the Igbo elders said the alleged current militarisation and widespread carnage in the South-East had aggravated the security challenges in the country.

The IEC said since the directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, that the police should crush IPOB and ESN, the Federal Government of the President, Major General Muhammad’s Buhari (retd.), “has maintained a steady deployment of troops and heavy military equipment to the South-East with a brazen candour reminiscent of the notorious operation Python Dance’of 2017 in the same South-East zone.”

The petition read, “We, therefore, call on President Muhammad Buhari, the United Nations, the European Union, African Union, ECOWAS, United States of America, United Kingdom, Russia, China and the entire international community to take urgent and necessary actions to stop the current genocide against the Igbo in the South East and parts of the South-South in the interest of peace, stability and unity of Nigeria.

“The use of force, nay, military force, has never restored peace anywhere, hence the need to explore dialogue and other effective strategies that have worked elsewhere.

“So far, over 5,000 Igbo youths have been killed in the South East, while more than 10,000 others are languishing in horrible detention camps in different parts of the country under questionable circumstances.

“Yet, none of these victims was a member of IPOB and ESN. There were not even members of the unknown gunmen. Both IPOB and ESN have several times distanced themselves from the current terror and tension in the South East, yet countless innocent citizens are killed in the name of fishing out presumed members of IPOB, ESN and unknown gunmen.

“We condemn without any reservation the destruction of public property in the South-East because it is not in our character to indulge in arson and brigandage. We believe, however, that it is not fair and just to use a sledge hammer to kill harmless flies as many victims of this joint security agencies onslaught are hapless and innocent Igbo youths and other citizens, who have become victims of circumstances.”

“Security agencies now indiscriminately invade private homes at odd hours in the same guise of fishing out presumed IPOB and ESN members. They arrest, maim, and, sometimes shoot innocent and hapless youths, and cart away their corpses to unknown destinations, thus denying them the opportunity of burial.

“The Igbo tradition values burial rites for the repose of the soul of the dead, yet our young victims of the military onslaught are denied that opportunity.

“It beats the imagination of any unbiased observer to explain why the Federal Government has not visited Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in various parts of the North, who have not only attacked, maimed, raped women and girls, sacked some communities, but also hoisted their own flags on different parts of the Nigerian territory.

“The Fulani herders still roam forest in different parts of the country with AK-47 and other heavy weapons, but nothing happened to them despite the so called shoot at sight order of Mr. President. Who is deceiving who in this our own country?”