The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Tuesday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government over the alleged abduction of 76 indigenes of Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Although earlier reports had indicated that the Awgu natives were arrested by soldiers from Abia State, military authorities have since maintained that such persons were not Nigerian soldiers.
The villagers had issues with Fulani herdsmen before the reported of the 76 young men.
There are also reports that they are currently being held at a military facility in Abia State.
Consequently, in a statement signed by Bar. Emma Mmezu and Dr Clifford C. Iroanya, IPOB spokespersons, they warned that failure to release the Enugu indigenes unconditionally would attract “fire for fire”.
The statement read in parts:
“The raw show of power and bravado by Fulani herdsmen at Umuneshi, Awgu Community of Enugu State just cannot be accepted by any civilized society.
“First, the ever recalcitrant Fulani marauders abducted two women on their way to the farm. All entreaties to release the two women fell on deaf ears. The youth of the community mobilized to free their women, but the Fulani warriors informed their kinsmen at the military bases in the neigbouring Abia State.
“The soldiers stormed the community, beat up and arrested all 76 youths, bundled them to zone 9, ordered them charged and remanded in prison without as much as allowing them to make statements.
“As at today the 76 youth remain locked up, the two women remain missing as Fulani supremacy reigns supreme.
“The brutal show of power and arrogant display of ‘we own Nigeria’ demonstrated by the Fulani is not only nauseating but despicable.
“When you add this to the brazen arrogance of display of Fulani republic flags in Ohafia, Abia State, and the provocative flying of Fulani flags in Agatu Benue State, Eket, Akwa Ibom, and many other places, the IPOB is convinced that the battle of total annihilation has been brought to our door steps by the avowed enemies of peace.
“Accordingly, the IPOB is hereby giving President Muhammadu Buhari 72 hours beginning from 6pm, Tuesday 29th March 2016, to release the 76 youths of Umeneshi Community, Awgu, together with the two women earlier abducted by the Fulani fighters.
“The Fulani flags flying over our ancestral land must also be removed within the same period failure of which the world will witness the first true feel of the anger of IPOB world wide. The era of consistently begging a mindless but determined enemy has suddenly come to an end. It is fire for fire. It is our generational duty to defend our honour as a people or be damned forever.”
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