Ex-Ohanaeze chief, John Nwodo dismisses report he threatened to deal with gunmen

A former President-General of the apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, on Monday dismissed a report on his plan to deal with gunmen if they venture near his house.

A report emerged at the weekend that the ex-Ohanaeze chief threatened to deal ruthlessly with any individual found near his house with a mission to set fire on the building.

Nwodo, according to the report, was reacting to last weekend’s attack on the Imo State country home of the President-General of the apex Igbo group, Prof. George Obiozor, by unknown gunmen.

However, in a statement he personally signed, the former minister of aviation described the report as the handiwork of mischief-makers.

The statement read: “My attention has been drawn to a news item circulating in the social media in Nigeria, quoting me as saying that I will deal with gunmen if they try to burn my house.

“The faceless reporter claimed that Nwodo was reacting to the burning of the home of the incumbent President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Imo State.

“Since I left the Ohanaeze Presidency after a successful tenure, I have been deliberately away from media glare for the obvious reason of allowing my successor to own the media space. I rarely appear in public, except for where it’s inevitable. I had also turned down several media approaches for interviews as a result of this principled position.

“I have been outside the country for over one week for medical check-ups, yet the mischief-maker(s) chose to put words in my mouth as speaking to newsmen in Enugu.

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“There is no doubt in my mind that those behind this cheap blackmail are engaged in a devious act to not only dent my image by continuously dragging my name negatively with IPOB but working assiduously to find an alibi to burn down my house and possibly attack my person.

“In the interest of the gullible public, I am presently in the United States and did not speak to any media group or individual and have no problem with any group, whether IPOB or anybody in whatever name called.

“This continuous attempt to put my name on the black side of IPOB or some Igbo leaders is bound to fail because it’s not standing on the truth of a man who has made enormous sacrifice for his people

“Those behind this dangerous act will definitely face the law of the land and of God who detest the destruction of a person’s hard earned reputation unjustly.

“I, therefore, wish to urge the public to disregard the news item and treat it as one of the minuses of social media.”

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