- Three lawmakers have spoken up against the senate president and his deputy for their statements on the IPOB crises
- The group accused the senate president and his deputy of endorsing the 'murderous activities' of the proscribed group
Three members of the House of Representatives have accused Senate President Bukola Saraki of supporting the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement signed by Aiyu Madaki, Sani Zorro and Mohammed Soba, all members of the House of Representatives, the trio also accused the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, of supporting the group's activities, Premium Times reports.
NAIJ.com gathered that the lawmakers claimed that: “a clear pattern of overt support to the leader of the terrorist group had since been established under the watch of the senate president, for some time now."
The trio also accused the deputy senate president of publicly supporting the activities of the group.
They said: “In the past his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had not only hosted, but put the full paraphernalia of his office – bullet-proof cars, uniformed policemen and operatives of the department of the state security service (DSS), and full complement of his staff on our nation’s payroll, to give solidarity and support to a secessionist leader facing treason charges for levying war against Nigerians and the Nigerian state.”
READ ALSO: Breaking: Nnamdi Kanu files motion challenging court order declaring IPOB terrorist organisation
The full statement read: "We were shocked beyond belief when our attention was brought to the statement credited to the Senate President, Abubakar Saraki in which he willy-nilly endorsed the murderous activities of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), based on arguments that are bereft of reason, rationality or logic. In fact, a clear pattern of overt support to the leader of the terrorist group had since been established under the watch of the Senate President, for some time now.
"In the past his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had not only hosted, but put the full paraphernalia of his office – bullet-proof cars, uniformed policemen and operatives of the department of the state security service (DSS), and full complement of his staff on our nation’s payroll, to give solidarity and support to a secessionist leader facing treason charges for levying war against Nigerians and the Nigerian state.
"On another count, only a self-hating leader devoid of human compassion could cover his eyes from the horror being meted to Nigerians not indigenous to the so-called Biafra enclave over these past years, but will be excited at rushing to offer protection to Nigeria’s misguided groups, while thumbing down our nation’s defence forces that have continued to sacrifice their lives, so we may survive as a nation under God."
The group claimed that the IPOB has killed several people and destroyed properties during its agitation.
"Pray, is the senate president unaware of the more than 1,900 Internally Displaced Persons presently taking refuge at the Aba Central Mosque, the more than 800 IDPs now sheltering in the Aba central police station after the gruesome murder of its Divisional Police Officer and his men?
"Is the SP not aware of the killing fields Sabon Fili where innocent sellers of fruits were subjected to the gory, slow but painful deaths, or the killing of many and destruction of the property of Northerners at Oyibo, in Rivers state? What has he said about the premeditated murder of 9 other Nigerians of Northern extraction at Asaba, Delta state – all of which have been in circulation especially in the social media, in the last few days? It is indeed a tragedy of immense proportion if the SP will close his eyes to these genocidal acts, and instead attempt to incite an armed rebel group against state actors, just to score cheap political points.
"At this juncture, it has become necessary to ask all conscionable representatives of the Nigerian people, civil society activities, labour and its social partners, to stand up and be counted, by discharging their civic responsibility of exposing what is undoubtedly another hot pursuit against the Roghinga’s of 21st century Nigeria," the statement read.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com earlier reported that the senate president has been faulted by the chief whip of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, for faulting the military’s declaration of IPOB as a terrorist group.
Doguwa described Saraki’s statement that the military did not have the authority to proscribe the pro-Biafra group as a “a mere political statement.”
Doguwa further stated that Saraki’s statement was unnecessary; especially in light of the attacks meted out by the pro-Biafra group on innocent citizens.
Watch this NAIJ.com TV video of a retired Major calling for dialogue between IPOB and the federal government:
Source: Naij.com
ROSY CREST
Friday, 22 September 2017