Do Not Invade S’East Military, Igbo Youths Warn

By Nseobong Okon-Ekong

Based on information at its disposal about an impending proclamation of a state of emergency and the invasion of South-east Nigeria by contingents and battalions of Nigerian military, the Igbo Youths Movement (IYM), has warned that should this happen it would lead to an unexpected and unprecedented meltdown, which may be difficult to contain and impossible to control.

Mr. Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, Founder of IYM said that the rulers of Nigeria do not have the faintest idea of the resolve and anger in the souls of majority of the citizens of that region. He said, ” The rulers will certainly meet unexpected reaction from the people of the zone. 51 year old pent-up anger in their hearts will explode in an unimaginable dimension, that may make it extremely difficult to save Nigeria.”

After a recent meeting with security chief, President Muhammadu Buhari issued a Tweet in which he warned that
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

This has been interpreted as a veiled reference to heightened agitation by Biafra separatists in the five South-east states under the aegis of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), which sometimes turn violent with resulting casualties.

This pointer to IPOB may not be unconnected with Buhari’s mention of the Nigerian Civil War in which he was an active participant. The 30-month war between 1967 and 1970 pitched the forces of the Federal Government of Nigeria led by former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) against Biafran soldiers led by the late Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The authorities of Twitter may have been pressured to pull down the Nigerian President’s Tweet as a result of the number of people who reported it as an offensive hate speech.

Ugochukwu-Uko reasoned that those who plan to invade South-east and conquer the region, clearly, do not know the pain and humiliation the people of the region have had to endure and swallow for years, their strength and wealth, and especially the commitment of the diaspora population, and their readiness for a long and protracted struggle for justice and freedom from oppression. “The Federal Government,” he said, “underestimate the mindset of over 20 million Igbo youths scattered all over the world, who have sworn not to hand over a situation of eternal servitude as permanent onlookers in the Nigerian project, to their progeny. Regardless of whatever may be wrong with the methods of the agitators, 90 percent of the masses, sympathizes with their cause, therein lies the problem.

Ugochukwu-Uko who is believed in many quarters to have the ears of the leadership of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) narrated his personal experience.

“I have been closely involved with Igbo youths for close to four decades. I know that the last two years have been a remarkable period in the renaissance of ideas for self-determination, never before experienced in this clime. I happen to know, because I have intensely interacted with Igbo youths over the years and managed to earn their confidence.

I say this confidently: Neither their parents nor teachers have any idea the degree of anger and bitterness in the hearts of Igbo youths born between 1990 and 2000, who are aged between 21 and 31 years of age. Certainly not the government. The whole world is in for a rude shock.”

He continued, “The government will not face stiff resistance from the people, because the agitators are saints, angels and very polite folks, agitating with humility, no, that doesn’t bother the people. The people are rather, very deeply offended, that the same government that has refused to rein in the deadly Fulani herdsmen who have made it extremely difficult for them to farm in their ancestral lands, paid hundreds of millions to vicious armed bandits terrorizing the North-west, are suddenly bringing war to the most isolated, ostracised and persecuted region in the country.

“This planned and ill-advised military campaign to the South-east, will only confirm and affirm the rhetorics of the agitators, that the South-east is deliberately hated and unwanted in the land. It will be difficult to convince the people otherwise.

The collateral damage in terms of human lives of innocent citizens, damage to infrastructure, rude interruption and destruction of economic life, and obstruction of trade, academic pursuits and civil and social activities, will produce enough bitterness and hatred of the central government, that the agitators will become heroes and idols of the much oppressed people of the zone.

The government, politicians and leaders across strata, made terrible mistakes by misjudging the agitators and applying very wrong strategy, that led to this unpleasant tension in the land.

Military option will spiral into a conflagration that will be difficult to contain.

He advised the South-east governors to, urgently meet with and explain to Mr President, the true situation on ground. Dialogue should replace military action. The government has never demanded a list of grievances from the agitators, government must do so now. More bloodshed will only prepare the ground for a bitter, protracted conflict, that will certainly change Nigeria for ever.

Nobody supports the agitators’ sudden militant posture. But the brigandage of the ruthless Fulani herdsmen and their seeming above-the-law arrogance, forced the helpless masses to embrace the agitators’ defence militia,” he concluded.