The separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has advised individuals in the South-East region against participating in the ongoing protests across Nigeria, which are in response to the prevailing economic challenges under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The separatist group cautioned against organizing protests in the southeastern states, asserting that the Igbo community had long lost interest in remaining part of Nigeria and was awaiting an opportunity to secede.
This statement was issued on Tuesday by the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who warned that orchestrating any protest concerning economic hardship in the South-East could jeopardize the safety of Ndigbo.
Amid increasing nationwide agitation and protests regarding the soaring cost of living and escalating food prices, the apex socio-cultural Igbo organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urged the Igbo populace on Monday not to participate in such protests against the Federal Government led by Tinubu.
Ohanaeze called upon Nigerians to exercise patience with Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement on Tuesday, IPOB spokesman “cautions the people of Biafra not to join any protest against hunger in Nigeria in any South-East territory.”
Powerful said, “The current hardship in Nigeria should be the concern of Nigerians, not Biafrans. Biafrans are no longer interested in the affairs of Nigeria. Biafrans were abused, intimidated, beaten, killed and denied voting rights during the election of this present government. Ndigbo were told to wait, that it was not their turn to rule.
“Anyone who organises any protest against economic hardship in Biafraland will put Biafrans in danger. During the #EndSARS protest, the Federal Government accused Ndigbo of attempting to destroy Nigeria with violence. We don’t want such profiling and targeting to repeat because of Ndigbo’s participation in any Nigerian mass protest.
“Ndigbo should leave the current economic hardship in the contraption called Nigeria for Nigerians to deal with because this hardship is what God Almighty has in store for Nigeria for the crimes they have committed against Biafrans between 1967 to 1970 and up to date.
“We understand that Ndigbo are equally affected by the economic hardship arising from the reckless and thoughtless economic policies of the government, but God is still seeing Biafrans through. We are worried about the suffering of other tribes, but there is nothing we can do. The current situation is why Biafrans are fighting for freedom. Nevertheless, we must apply wisdom.”
The group further said anyone or group that wants to organise a protest for Nigeria’s hardship should kindly go to the northern or western part of the country and stage such protests there.
“Our region is battling the state-sponsored insecurity, kidnappings, and killings by the Federal Government’s agencies and agents, including terrorists. We have much on our hands to do. We will not allow anyone or any group to use the arrangement of protests to import more agents of destabilisation into our territory,” it said.