The separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has advised people in the South-East against participating in the ongoing nationwide protests against the current economic challenges in Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
The group, which has been pushing for the secession of the southeastern region, emphasized that the Igbo community has lost interest in Nigeria and is simply awaiting an opportunity to break away.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB cautioned against organizing any protest against economic hardships in the South-East, citing potential risks to the Igbo community.
The country has witnessed a surge in protests over the escalating cost of living and soaring food prices.
Contrary to IPOB’s stance, the apex socio-cultural Igbo organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urged the Igbo people not to engage in any protests against the Tinubu-led Federal Government, urging patience instead.
Powerful reiterated IPOB’s stance, stating, “The current challenges facing Nigeria should be the concern of all Nigerians, not Biafrans. Biafrans are no longer interested in Nigerian affairs. They have been subjected to abuse, intimidation, violence, and denied voting rights during the current government’s election. Ndigbo were told to wait, as it was not their turn to govern.
“Organizing protests against economic hardships in Biafraland will jeopardize the safety of Biafrans. During the #EndSARS protests, the Federal Government accused Ndigbo of attempting to destabilize Nigeria through violence. We do not want a repeat of such profiling and targeting due to Ndigbo’s involvement in any Nigerian mass protest.
“Biafrans should leave Nigeria’s current economic challenges to Nigerians to address, as this hardship is a divine retribution for the crimes committed against Biafrans from 1967 to 1970 and beyond.
“We understand that Ndigbo are also affected by the economic difficulties arising from the government’s reckless economic policies, but God is still providing for Biafrans. We are concerned about the suffering of other tribes, but there is little we can do. This current situation is why Biafrans are fighting for independence. However, we must act wisely.”
IPOB suggested that anyone or group intending to protest against Nigeria’s hardships should do so in the northern or western parts of the country, leaving the South-East region to deal with state-sponsored insecurity, kidnappings, and killings allegedly carried out by federal government agencies, including terrorists.
“We have enough challenges to address in our region. We will not permit anyone or any group to use protests as an opportunity to introduce more agents of destabilization into our territory,” the statement concluded.
