Nigeria’s former ambassador to Spain, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu has renewed her call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Bianca, wife of late Biafra leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu made the appeal in the United States during the annual convention of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent, AVID, composed of American citizens of Igbo parentage who are currently serving or who honorably served in various branches of the United States military.
While lamenting the level of insecurity in the South-East, she called on the five state governors to apply their collective will and collaboration, warning that “the state of insecurity in Igboland wis posing an existential threat to life as we know it in our communities.”
According to her, “The incessant killings and kidnappings, the increasing rate of annexation and takeover of community farmlands by armed herdsmen and other dangerous invaders have taken their toll on Agro and economic prospects, as well as social activities in most Igbo communities.”
Mrs Ojukwu said that opportunistic criminal elements within Igboland were hiding under the separatist agitation bandwagon to commit heinous crimes, and seem to have sufficiently degraded the capabilities of security forces with their superior firepower.
She lamented the fact that many people were leaving their villages out of fear and once thriving communities had become depleted, devitalized and in some cases assuming the status and appearance of ghost towns.
She called on the governors of the South East who are the chief security officers of their states to intensify their individual and collective efforts towards bringing the alarming situation under control.
Bianca, however, stressed that once Nnamdi Kanu is set free, the security situation in the South East would greatly improve.
Ambassador Ojukwu also highlighted the need for Ndigbo in diaspora to continue to uphold and defend their core values, their sense of identity and their heritage.
She further stated that their concerns about the security situation in the South East are justified, adding that this was not only limited to the South East, but a scourge ravaging most states in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senator representing Abia North, made the point that the current state of insecurity in Igbo land could be traced to 2021 following the arrest and illegal detention till date of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
He wondered why the South East remains the zone with the highest number of police and army checkpoints per kilometer in Nigeria, yet, the so-called unknown gunmen and sundry insecurity purveyors roamed about fearlessly, causing devastation without check.
He maintained that it was only when the government and its security agencies genuinely want to tackle insecurity that it will be severely reduced across the country.
The theme of this year’s conference ‘Stand up for your People’ reflected largely on the issues facing the Igbo homeland, most especially the insecurity crisis which has enveloped several South-Eastern states.
Other speakers at the occasion included Hon. Uche Onyeagocha, a former lawmaker and past secretary to the government of Imo State, business mogul, Chief Dr Kingson Njoku, Haitian senator Jean Charles Moise , industrialist John Gregg followed by a panel presentation on the economic prospects of the Eastern Region.
President of the Veterans Association, Dr Sly Onyia announced that AVID was presently working towards ensuring a direct flight from the United States of America to the South East.
