The coalition of the Igbo group, have in a press statement in response to the ‘Northern Coalition Group Genocidal Statement, urged the Igbos in the North, to come back home.
The statement was dated June 6, 2021 and addressed to the Governors of South Eastern Nigeria, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Igbo traditional leaders, all Women Societies in Igboland, the Catholic Archbishops of Owerri and Onitsha, all catholic clergy, Bishop on the Niger and all Anglican clergy, Chairman Pentecostal fellowship of Nigeria South East Region and all President Generals of Igbo town unions.
The statement read;
“THE COALITION OF IGBO GROUPS
To; The Governors of South Eastern Nigeria
The Ohaneze Ndigbo
The Igbo traditional leaders
All Women Societies in Igboland
The Catholic Archbishops of Owerri and Onitsha and all catholic clergy
Bishop on the Niger and all Anglican clergy
Chairman Pentecostal fellowship of Nigeria South East Region
All President Generals of Igbo town unions
06 June 2021
“RE: NORTHERN COALITION GROUP GENOCIDAL STATEMENT
It is with a deep sense of concern for the peace of our land, the safety of our people across the country, especially in the north, and the general situation of Nigeria that we wish to address this matter We are appalled by the recently released testament of lies and the compendium of deceit, pettiness, propaganda, and devious falsehood peddled against Igbo people, as truths of history and reflection of the present happenings in the country by a group of ethnic jingoists and hypocrites known as the Coalition of Northern Groups
“HISTORICAL REALITIES The Igbo people have strived to be an example of what it means to be Nigerian anywhere they have found themselves in all nooks and crannies of not only Nigeria, but everywhere in the world, and as a matter of principles and culture, they always contribute immensely in the building of those communities wherever they are domiciled. The Igbo people are globally known for being hospitable and accommodating of other peoples 2 / 6 have since even before Nigeria’s independence, found a peaceful home in Igboland where they are accepted as friends, brothers, and sisters, and fellow citizens.
“Many of them were born and grew up here with us, raising their own families This inborn Igbo hospitality is demonstrated by the sheer number of northerners that are doing their businesses in Igboland and living among the locals where an uncountable number of them live rent-free as some Igbo landlords give them accommodations without collecting any payement for as long as they sojourn among us This reality was also demonstrated by the Igbo people when they elected a Fulani cattle dealer, Umoru Altine as the first Mayor of Enugu against a son of the soil, Mr. Ezechi from the same Enugu. Umoru Altine was elected two times by the Igbo people to lead them in the mostly Igbo-dominated capital of Eastern Nigeria. Mallam Umoru Yishau, another northerner was also elected by Igbo people to the Eastern House of Chiefs
“COMMITMENT TO NIGERIA The Igbo people have also been at the forefront of promoting, projecting, and accentuating the image of Nigeria at home and globally, excelling in every area of human endeavour and making Nigeria proud. The first military coup in Nigeria had the participation of officers from different parts of the country and even though they made mistakes, the coup was greeted with jubilation all over the country, including in the North until it was termed an “Igbo coup”, an unfortunate lie that has persisted to this day. Due to this propaganda, there have been series of mindless killings of Igbo people in the North, while members of the security forces of Nigeria, either colluded or simply looked away, while the people whose lives and properties they had pledged to protect where attacked, maimed or killed.
“The Nigerian security forces; no trials or arrests were made. Since then, the North has killed an uncountable number of Igbo people, with none of the criminals ever apprehended or justice served. Our National Youth Corp members sent to the north who are contributing to the progress and unity of the country are killed because the north lost an election
“NORTHERN JIHADIST TERRORISTS: We are all aware of the formation of terrorist groups by Northerners whose main aim has always been to divide the country by creating a separate Islamic region where they can practice Sharia law. This was initiated by Northern governors who do not believe in democracy, unity of Nigeria, or the secular nature of the Nigerian State.
“The implementation of Sharia law in the North has led to mindless uprisings in which the lgbo people were always the target – they were killed in their numbers and their properties vandalized. lgbo people are constantly targeted and attacked in the North for the most flimsy of reasons like the drawing of a cartoon in faraway Denmark or the loss of an election by northern politicians. In all these unprovoked massacres, we simply counted our losses, buried our loved ones and continued to pursue peace with our killers and unity of Nigeria and stay with those who see us as their enemies.
“TERRIBLE RECENT EVENTS Since 2015, these killing of Igbo people have increased in intensity with a different dimension, where the Fulani terrorists known as herdsmen, who are the militant jihadist wing of the north sent to kill lgbo people and take away their land, now are bolder Their hatred for the lgbo people leads them to always look for excuses to kill Ndigbo and occupy Igboland This has been noted in the way the security forces which are mainly composed of the Northerners, treat ordinary lgbo people in lgboland with beastly cruelty,” the statement said.
(Source: Daily Independent)
