The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the apex socio-cultural organization representing the Igbo community, expressed strong condemnation over the recent attack on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by ex-militant leader Mujahid Dokubo-Asari.
The Igbo group urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard individuals like Dokubo and instead engage in a roundtable discussion with Kanu.
Following a meeting with President Tinubu, Dokubo referred to the IPOB leader as a criminal and called for his continued detention.
Dokubo’s statement has sparked anger among the Igbo community, with many accusing him of overstepping his boundaries.
Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, released a statement in Abuja, alleging that Dokubo-Asari was being funded by those seeking to destabilize President Tinubu’s government.
Nnabuike expressed disbelief that, at a time when many patriotic citizens were seeking ways to unite the country, the ex-militant, who claimed to be a ‘son of the President,’ was promoting ideas that would further divide the nation.
“We have always known Dokubo-Asari as a rabble-rouser who is not interested in the progress and prosperity of this nation.
“This is a man who had been in the creeks for years sabotaging the country’s economy. We all know what it is to sabotage the economy of a country- what other crime could be more than this?
“But curiously, the same man who claims to have repented, even when his boys are still in the creeks, has the temerity to brand Nnamdi Kanu a criminal.
“When did Asari Dokubo become a court of competent jurisdiction to decide who is a criminal? He has only taken his hatred for Ndigbo too far,” Okwu said.
The Igbo group urged President Tinubu to ignore Dokubo and his ilks “who are not in any way interested in the positive future of the country but their selfish gains.
“Mr President made it clear that he is ready to unite the fragmented country he inherited from the past administration and he has been so much applauded for this.
“We urge Mr President to go ahead and not allow his administration to be derailed by hypocrites like Asari Dokubo who want to feed fat from any form of crisis in the country. Mr President should be wary of him and his sponsors who are enemies of the government.
“The Federal Government should do well to invite and engage Nnamdi Kanu and other agitators. They are fighting for justice and marginalisation. If the government could engage members of Boko Haram who have killed and maimed millions of people, it should not find it hard to engage the agitators.
“Mr President is one of those who vehemently fought in favour of democracy and justice in the past; he should give a listening ear to Nnamdi Kanu,” Okwu said.
Ohanaeze, however, warned Dokubo “to desist from any further attempt to use Nnamdi Kanu’s ordeal to promote his interests.
“Enough is enough, we warn him to henceforth stop using Ndigbo as an avenue to promote his ego. Everyone knows he has personal issues with Nnamdi Kanu.”
