Shoot On Sight Against Igbo Youths Call For Another Genocide — Ohanaeze

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has frowned at the alleged shoot on sight order
given to soldiers on how to engage Igbo youths in South East.

Prof. George Obiozor, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,
dis­closed this in a statement made available to journalists by the
body’s National Publicity Secre­tary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, in
Enugu on Monday.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo warned that shoot on sight order to sol­diers on
Igbo youths is a call for another pogrom and genocide.

He, thereby, urged the Federal Government to re­frain from the
use of force in resolving the present na­tional crisis.

He said, “History shows that military and violent means to solve
the national question is bound to fail as it leads to further
national fractionalisation, anarchy and eventual or inevitable
disintegration, as in all em­pires or multi-national states or
countries.”

Obiozor warns, “The Sahara Reporters, May 8, elaborated on the
new secret plan of shoot on sight order which by the grace of God
has come to the public do­main. The report further re­vealed that
the exercise will commence from Orlu in Imo State, South East
Nigeria.

“This is very disturbing. The pattern of deployment of northern
military officers to the South-East lends cre­dence to the above
report.

“Sahara Reporters re­vealed that in preparation for the above,
the Nigerian army has posted Northern Muslims as commanders over
its operations and bri­gades in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom,
Enugu, Benue, Edo, Delta and Riv­ers.

“In Anambra State, the Cantonment Commandant of the 302
Artillery Regi­ment, Onitsha, is Col Abdul­salam Abubakar Sambo, a
Hausa-Fulani Muslim, while in Imo State, the Brigade Commander of
34 Brigade, Obinze, is Brig Gen Ibrahim Tukura, another
northern­er; in Abia State, the Brigade Commander of 14 Brigade,
Ohafia, is Brig Gen M. Ibra­him, still, a northerner; while in Akwa
Ibom State, the Brigade Commander of 2 Brigade, Uyo, is Brig Gen
Faruk Mijinyawa, another northerner. This is truly worrisome,” he
said.

The President General ad­monished the Nigerian gov­ernment to
“learn a lesson from history by not fighting an unwinnable war
against nationalism but seek possi­ble peaceful options that are
the only solution that guar­antees national unity and peaceful
coexistence.”

Obiozor lamented that “subnational conscious­ness or
ethnocentric na­tionalism which is a dan­gerous form of nationalism
to national unity has taken over Nigeria.” And that “the dream of
Nigeria uni­ty is receding and fading fast with violence, crises
and conflicts.”

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has frowned at the alleged shoot on sight order
given to soldiers on how to engage Igbo youths in South East.

Prof. George Obiozor, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,
dis­closed this in a statement made available to journalists by the
body’s National Publicity Secre­tary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, in
Enugu on Monday.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo warned that shoot on sight order to sol­diers on
Igbo youths is a call for another pogrom and genocide.

He, thereby, urged the Federal Government to re­frain from the
use of force in resolving the present na­tional crisis.

He said, “History shows that military and violent means to solve
the national question is bound to fail as it leads to further
national fractionalisation, anarchy and eventual or inevitable
disintegration, as in all em­pires or multi-national states or
countries.”

Obiozor warns, “The Sahara Reporters, May 8, elaborated on the
new secret plan of shoot on sight order which by the grace of God
has come to the public do­main. The report further re­vealed that
the exercise will commence from Orlu in Imo State, South East
Nigeria.

“This is very disturbing. The pattern of deployment of northern
military officers to the South-East lends cre­dence to the above
report.

“Sahara Reporters re­vealed that in preparation for the above,
the Nigerian army has posted Northern Muslims as commanders over
its operations and bri­gades in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom,
Enugu, Benue, Edo, Delta and Riv­ers.

“In Anambra State, the Cantonment Commandant of the 302
Artillery Regi­ment, Onitsha, is Col Abdul­salam Abubakar Sambo, a
Hausa-Fulani Muslim, while in Imo State, the Brigade Commander of
34 Brigade, Obinze, is Brig Gen Ibrahim Tukura, another
northern­er; in Abia State, the Brigade Commander of 14 Brigade,
Ohafia, is Brig Gen M. Ibra­him, still, a northerner; while in Akwa
Ibom State, the Brigade Commander of 2 Brigade, Uyo, is Brig Gen
Faruk Mijinyawa, another northerner. This is truly worrisome,” he
said.

The President General ad­monished the Nigerian gov­ernment to
“learn a lesson from history by not fighting an unwinnable war
against nationalism but seek possi­ble peaceful options that are
the only solution that guar­antees national unity and peaceful
coexistence.”

Obiozor lamented that “subnational conscious­ness or
ethnocentric na­tionalism which is a dan­gerous form of nationalism
to national unity has taken over Nigeria.” And that “the dream of
Nigeria uni­ty is receding and fading fast with violence, crises
and conflicts.”