Biafra: We Are Not Part Of Your Agitation – Nnamdi Kanu’s Community Tell IPOB Leader
The Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku Community in Umuahia north local
government area of Abia State on Thursday dissociated themselves from the call
for succession as being championed by the leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
According to Daily Post reports, the community pledged their
support and loyalty to a united and indivisible Nigeria.
Isiama Afaraukwu ibeku community is the hometown of the IPOB
leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Addressing journalists in a press conference organized by
the community on Thursday, an elder statesman, Chief Geoffrey Onyemaobi said
the people of Isiama Afaraukwu ibeku was not part of the agitation for
sovereign state of Biafra, just as he raised alarm over the invasion of the
community by IPOB members.
He explained that on Wednesday, the community was invaded by
members of IPOB, with over five hundred vehicles, which led to heavy traffic
jam in the area.
According to Onyemaobi, the IPOB members blocked the entire
roads in the community and that it took residents of the community about two
hours to get home from Umuahia town.
He pointed out that it took him two hours to get Isiama
Afaraukwu from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) junction, Umuahia, appealing to
federal and Abia state governments to come to their aid over the invasion of
the community by those he referred as ‘outsiders’.
Onyemaobi restated once again that Isiama Afaraukwu ibeku
was not supporting break-up of Nigeria, maintaining that they joined other well-meaning
individuals on the call for Nigeria restructuring.
His words,”They invaded my community, isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku
yesterday, that’s on Wednesday.
“There was no space in entire Isiama Afaraukwu. They invaded
the community with over five hundred vehicles carrying young boys who have no
idea how war looks like, walking around every place in this community.
“The people of the community, including myself could not
come out from our compound. They blocked our gates and roads with vehicles. I
had to manage to squeeze myself out.
“Coming back, it took me complete two hours from Federal
medical Centre (FMC) junction, through Aba road, because they blocked the
Golden Guinea Breweries road, I had to take Holy Trinity road, still they
blocked it. No space anywhere in Afaraukwu.
“Two hours to get to my compound. Is it what we are going
see in this community? We are appealing to government to please come to the aid
of this community. We are not part of what is going, I mean, Biafra agitation.
We are not part of it.
“The community is being invaded by outsiders. They are
invading our community. We are only calling on government to protect us. This
is an invasion. One cannot come out of his compound, we have been held inside
our compound.
“We are calling on the Abia state and federal government to
wake up because what is coming gradually now, might turn to something else.
“We want peace in this community. There is tension
everywhere in this country. If they want us to break up this country, this is
not the way to go about it; it is by referendum, everybody will sit down and
agree.
“But I don’t believe breaking up of this country is the
right thing to do. I believe that there must be changes in the polity. I
believe the present federal government is listening. Everybody in this country
have said we need to restructure Nigeria.
“And we believe if this country is restructured, all these
agitations will cease.”
Source: Daily Post
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