A group, under the umbrella of Federalist Movement of Nigeria has
stated that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are
decamping to other separatist groups since the court declared it a
terrorist group.
The group therefore called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to
immediately bring the weight of the law to bear on criminal elements
that were hiding under agitation against marginalization to breach the
constitution and the extant laws of the land.
FNM made this know via a statement signed by its convener, Emmanuel Ogah and obtained by DAILY POST on Wednesday.
The group said that the call became imperative following reports that
many members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have started
migrating to other separatist groups that are becoming virulent and
could soon continue acts of aggression from where IPOB stopped before
the court ordered that it is a terror group.
Ogah said, the Biafra Zionists Federation (BZF) led by one Benjamin
Igwe Onwuka, having been swelled in membership by defecting IPoB
members, is now ramping up its purveyance of hate speech and incitement
to violence in the fashion of the terrorist group.
He said,
“Onwuka, speaking as BZF leader, is calling for attacks on
the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) – Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai and the Minister
of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, including threatening them with
trial at the International Criminal Court on a shallow basis.“Onwuka, who clearly forgot that only those who have wronged the
people will go to prison, must be reminded that history would
acknowledge Alhaji Lai Mohammed and General Buratai as heroes especially
in the way they discharged their sacred responsibility of upholding
good governance in Nigeria and by extension in Africa.
“Much as Onwuka’s BZF and other miscreants are angry that the
Nigerian Army has tamed them and prevented them from continuing to
unleash mayhem on innocent citizens or to continue their regime of
criminality, they must realize that no country gives free passes to
terrorists, extremists, secessionists and separatists to oppress the
law-abiding populations.
“Onwuka, BZF, and other separatists have the penchant for pegging
their ill-conceived demand on the notion that they can get other nations
to interfere in the affairs of Nigeria. This rabble must therefore be
schooled to understand that responsible leaders deal head on with
criminality irrespective of the barrage of propaganda and sponsored
outcry by criminals and their backers.
“We recommend the words of Detective Chief Superintendent Martin
Snowden, the head of counter-terrorism policing in North East England,
to the Federal Government, Biafra separatists and terrorists alike.
Snwoden said of the arrests: “Those who promote extreme views are
looking to divide our communities and spread hatred. This will not be
tolerated and those who do so must be brought to justice.”
The group urged the government of Nigerian and it’s military to pay
no heed to the threats from those they tagged as misguided elements that
think agitation for restructuring or secession confers immunity for
breaking the law.