The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has requested Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah to suspend plans to develop a cattle ranch at Nimbo in the Uzowani town of the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area (LGA) in the state.
IPOB announced this in a statement issued on Monday by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful.
Remember that people of the neighbourhood protested last week over the governor’s plan to establish a ranch for Fulani herders.
The widows of herders killed in 2016 swarmed the streets to protest the government’s “wickedness” in carrying out such an atrocity.
The women wailed as they marched the streets with pictures of the caskets which was used during the mass burial of their husbands, chanting, “Nimbo doesn’t want Ruga, Nimbo doesn’t want cattle, Nimbo doesn’t want Ranch”.
In its reaction on Monday, IPOB said, it “is monitoring Governor Peter Mbah and his collaborators. They should understand that IPOB will not allow the establishment of any murderous camp for jihadist Fulanis in the name of cattle ranch anywhere in Enugu State.
“If Governor Peter Mbah is genuinely interested in establishing a cattle ranch in Enugu State, such ranch must be managed privately by an Igbo businessman. Only Ndigbo are allowed to own cattle ranches anywhere in Igbo land. We don’t want to have murderous Fulanis operating any cattle ranch in Alaigbo.
“If Fulani herdsmen have paid Dr Peter Mbah or any traditional leader for any parcel of Land in Enugu State, they should better go and collect their money back.”
It added, “We are also informing South East Governors to shun any idea of establishing cattle ranches in any state in the Southeast region.
“IPOB and ESN Operatives won’t allow any establishment of Fulani camp in the name of cattle ranch in any state in the Biafra territory.”