Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has urged members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) protesting the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, which led to the death of about eight protesters to desist from further protests.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council, in a press statement warned that if caution is not exercised Nigeria might slip into a civil war.
The statement which was signed by the national president of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro; and the national secretary, Mazi Nnabuike Okwu read “Enemies of Ndigbo must have hijacked the peaceful protests in Onitsha to foment trouble just to create the wrong impression that IPOB and MASSOB are now violent organisations, giving excuses to security agents to use maximum force to quell them.
“That is why we want to repeat our appeal to the Biafran agitators to please stop further protests in the interest of Ndigbo. They should not forget that the enemies of Ndigbo are looking for any slightest opportunity to turn South East to another theatre of war.”
On Kanu’s release, the organisation explained that negotiations with the federal government are ongoing.
“We are negotiating with the federal government on a possible political solution over Kanu’s issue. We are on top of the situation, and we hope, very soon that he will be released. OYC is ready to go to any length to secure his release MASSOB and IPOB should not truncate this process with their continued protests.
“The National Security Adviser should, as a matter of urgency, convene another meeting with the leadership of Ohanaeze, MASSOB and IPOB to find political solution to the escalating protests to avoid Nigeria sliding into another avoidable civil war,” they added.