How southeast governors begged IPOB over avoid attack on Igbo leaders

The trend of revolt by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has adopted in their agitation in southeast Nigeria to physically assault Igbo leaders outside the shores of Nigeria now constitutes serious threat to governors of the south east states and other leaders. The wild attack of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu in Germany and the attempted attack of the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Spain which was foiled by the Police, sent very strong dangerous signals to Igbo leaders that their safety cannot no longer be guaranteed whenever they are in foreign land. The governors of the southeast were compelled by the turning of the IPOB agitation against them to convene an urgent meeting at the weekend, thereafter, attempted to appease IPOB members with the denial of the knowledge of military operations in the southeast by the Nigerian Army.

Accordingly, governors of the southeast vehemently denied any involvement in the Operation Python Dance (OPD), the Nigerian Army carried out in the southeast in the OPD II prelude to the 2019 general elections where IPOB members were alleged to be killed at Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State. The resident of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was also attacked in September 2017, forcing Kanu to flee Nigeria.

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Chairman of South East Governors Forum, had after the meeting at the weakened declared:  “South East governors never invited the Army nor were South East Governors informed of any of their operations on Python Dance until the operations were already started in the states.

“South East governors would like to write to Mr. President to request for a meeting with him and all the security chiefs on security to douse tension in the region.”

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, was said to be in attendance at the southeast stakeholders meeting.

However, the explanation of the governor did not appease IPOB members and their leaders who challenged the governors on their decision to proscribed IPOB before the military onslaught by the Nigerian Army.