Violence looms as IPOB threatens retaliation if igbos are attacked during elections

The outlawed secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned against any planned attacks on Igbos during the forthcoming 2023 elections.

This was as the group raised the alarm over likely attacks from a village in the Yoruba land, saying it would reciprocate attacks on its members.

IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, who stated this in a statement on Wednesday, reiterated the distance of the secessionist group from the forthcoming general elections.

Powerful insisted any attacks on its members because of their call for referendum to exit Nigeria will not be allowed to stand.

“The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to a threat from a small village Monarch in Yoruba Land to the effect that they will deal with non-indigenes, especially Ndigbo who doesn’t vote in the upcoming elections according to the wish of the monarch. This sort of threat tells you all you need to know about the Nigerian selection process, which they like to call an election”, the statement read.

“IPOB as a freedom movement do reaffirm our non-recognition and or participation of (in) the Nigerian electoral process because the results do not represent the will of the people, and this is why an idiot somewhere will have the gumption to threaten what they called non-indigenes and the Igbo nation in particular. While we Biafrans await a date for Referendum, nobody should threaten Ndigbo and Biafrans residing temporarily in other parts of Nigeria for any reason.

“IPOB want to state unequivocally that any attack in any part of Nigeria on the Biafran people or the Igbo Nation or their properties on account of the choice of individuals to participate and vote according to their conviction during this so-called election will be met with adequate and commensurate action.

“We urge men and women of good conscience in the North and West to caution their traditional rulers and politicians who want to use Ndigbo and Biafrans as scapegoats in this skewed election process to be very careful and retrace their steps. Gone are the days when Ndigbo will be threatened and intimidated during elections. As long as Biafrans have not been given the opportunity to exit Nigeria via a referendum, IPOB will not stand by and watch anyone Nigerian or non-Nigerian to threaten Biafrans or carry out such threats against us and get away with it.

Read also:2023: Northern Elders urge Buhari to quell IPOB, other agitations ahead of polls

“Even as IPOB do not wish to be drawn into the zoo politics, nobody has the right to threaten Ndigbo or attempt to compel them to vote for a particular party or candidate. Any Biafran who wants to vote in this election has the right to vote for any party or candidate of his/her choice, and nobody should direct or threaten them to vote for a particular party in their community or state. If anyone threatens to attack Ndigbo and Biafrans or non-indigenes residents in your place, be rest assured that the people being attacked will not sit and watch their property and life being destroyed and will activate their right to self-defence.

“We are urging Ndigbo, Biafrans and non-indigenes everywhere to be prepared to defend their property, family and their own lives during and after this election period. Do not allow anyone to use you or your family as a sacrificial lamb this time around.

“It is very imperative that we remind those who think highly of themselves and believe they will resort to violence and attack Biafrans that they do not have the monopoly of violence. Until Referendum is conducted and Biafrans exit Nigeria, those who have the habit of threatening and attacking Ndigbo must understand that it will not be business as usual this time around because their lives also will be in danger when they attack others.

“These nitwits believe that Biafrans are soft targets to threaten and attack at will, well they should know that it will not be so this time around. These morons never threatened fulani not to vote for any other party except their own party and their own person but rather directed their misguided outbursts against Biafrans and Indigbo. We dare them to attack NDIGBO and Biafrans this time around and see what will happen.

“As long as Nigeria forced and kept us into this unwanted contraption, we are advising Biafrans to be fully ready to meet the coming challenge squarely and unwaveringly”, it concluded.

An audio recording had leaked recently of a Lagos monarch during a meeting who was allegedly threatening non indigenes in his domain to vote for APC, or be ready to leave the place. People were also instructed to show evidence of which party they voted for, before they can be allowed to remain in the community.

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