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Read What Fayose Calls Igbo People After Alleged Killing of IPOB Members

Published

8 years ago

June 1, 2016

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state on Wednesday said people of the south-eastern part of the country have become endangered.
His disclosure was in reaction to the alleged killing of over 30 Igbo protesters, who were mainly members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) on Monday.
Reports had suggested that the clash claimed 53 people while over 200 people were injured and more than 400 were arrested.
Fayose said it appears President Mohammadu Buhari was turning the people of the south-east and south-south to ‘politically endangered species’.
The governor called on the international community to take note of the wanton killings being perpetrated by the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
In a statement signed by Lere Olayinka, the special assistant on public communications and new media to the governor, Fayose said there was no justification whatsoever for the killing of the youths just because they were marking the Biafra day in memory of the former leader of the defunct Biafra republic, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
He said it was worrisome that Nigeria and its people had been more divided since the advent of Buhari’s government, adding that approach to civil unrests of any kind under the government was causing more security problems in the country.
Even though he expressed belief in the unity of Nigeria, Fayose said it was unspeakable for security men to have used live ammunitions against the Igbo protesters.
“To even justify the killing by claiming that the Igbo youths protest was orchestrated in order to mar the first anniversary of Buhari’s government is to say the least, wicked and animalistic,” the governor said.
He added that it was worrisome that more than 150 Igbo youths had been killed by Nigerian security operatives under the directive of Buhari’s government from August 30, 2015 till date.
Fayose declared: “It appears that President Buhari has made up his mind to eliminate as many south-east and south-south people and lovers of the corporate existence of Nigeria and its people should call the president to order.
“I am alarmed that Nigerians who were only on peaceful protest could be shot at and killed by security agents and after the senseless killing of the innocent Nigerians, security agents could demonstrate their heartlessness by coming up with justifications for the criminal act.
“One is however not surprised because every evil perpetrated by the Buhari-led government against Nigerians, especially those the presidents appears to hate have been justified by those who perpetrated them.
“We were in this country when over 1,000 Shiite Muslims were killed and buried overnight in Zaria, Kaduna state and the murder was justified. We were also here when over 400 Agatus were killed in Benue state and the president said nothing.
“The Monday killing of over 30 Igbo youths is therefore condemnable. Its justification is barbaric, heartless, and crude and must be condemned by all lovers of the unity of Nigeria and its people.
“I therefore wish to express my sympathy to the people of the south-eastern part of Nigeria and I urge them to remain resolute in their agitation for a Nigeria in which all Nigerians are treated equally irrespective of their tribe and religion.”
Earlier on Wednesday, about 88 members of MASSOB who were arrested by the Ebonyi state police were arraigned.