IPOB warns Buhari against visit to Enugu

The Indigenous People of Biafra, on Monday, warned President Muhammadu Buhari to ‘stay clear’ of the South-East.

The President is slated to attend the opening session of the South-East Economic Summit in Enugu on Thursday.

But IPOB, in a statement entitled, ‘Muhammadu Buhari must stay clear of Biafra land or have himself to blame for the outcome of any such visit,’ told the President to cancel the planned visit.

The secessionist group, in a statement signed by its spokespersons, Emma Nmezu (a lawyer) and Dr. Clifford Iroanya, equally warned Igbo governors and other political leaders against hosting Buhari in Enugu or any other part of the South-East.

IPOB warned that the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and other leaders should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state if Buhari went ahead to visit the Coal City on December 22.

The pro-Biafran group alleged that Buhari was a ‘killer and persecutor’ of Igbo and should not be allowed to visit the geopolitical zone.

The statement read in part, “The Indigenous People of Biafra have received information that Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) will be visiting Enugu on the 22nd of December, 2016. We object totally to this visit.

“We warn that any governor or Igbo politician that receives Buhari in Enugu will have himself or herself to blame. We make it public that should there be a breakdown of law and order in Enugu on the 22nd of December, greedy Igbo politicians will have themselves to blame.

“Any Igbo governor or politician that is found among those hobnobbing with Buhari becomes an enemy of the people and shall pay dearly for it.”

IPOB also demanded an investigation into the Amnesty International report, which accused the army of mass killing of Biafra activists.

The group urged all pro-Biafra activists to be in Enugu on December 22 to show their anger over Buhari’s visit.

“We are calling on all Biafrans to descend on Enugu on the said date of December 22, 2016 to show our anger and displeasure at this attempt by some greedy Igbo men to insult the memory of our glorious dead and those still in detention with our leader.

The police could not be reached for comment as calls to the Force spokesman, Donald Awunah, indicated that his line was unreachable. He had yet to respond to an SMS as of the time of filing this report.

Punch