I Am Worried About Biafra Protesters Running Into Fulani Herdsmen – Igbo Youth Leader

Evangelist Elliot Uko, the National President of Igbo Youths Movement has expressed his worries concerning the growing Biafra protests and the possibility of the protests resulting in greater violence.

Evangelist Elliot Uko Photo Credit: Vanguard

 

In an interview with Vanguard, Uko said the Igbos were unhappy with the treatment they were receiving from Nigeria which was the reason for the agitation.

When asked about what he thought about the Biafra protest in Onitsha which resulted in the death of two police officers and seven protesters and also the burning of a mosque, Uko said he feared things might get out of hand.

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“I am as worried as you are, I find it difficult to sleep at night when I remember what will happen if this protesting army runs into Fulani herdsmen or if they match through Lokpanta near Okigwe or Amansia near Awka where Northerners live and do business. These are troubled times indeed, I have just talked to their leaders, but they denied burning the mosque in Onitsha. All the same, I together with some respected Igbo elders plan to meet with them this week in order to plead with them to give peace a chance.

“Everybody agrees that violence is not the way to go and that the Federal Government must sit down with the authentic leaders of IPOB and MASSOB immediately. These boys really feel unwanted and isolated by Nigeria. For 40,000 people to march on the street day in day out means that they believe in something unique.”

He said the protesters don’t believe in getting justice in Nigeria and that the peace treaty in 1970 was forced on Igbo people.

“These boys, who are so well organised with branches all over the world, told me that they are clearly tired of Nigeria. They believe Nigeria will never give them justice, they are afraid of tomorrow, they don’t want to give birth to children, who will remain political slaves in their country and despised by all.

“They are angry at the fraudulent census figures where states who give themselves five and six million population in the North East and North West, produce only 10,000 candidates for West African School Certificate Examination, WASCE, while the states they gave 2.8 million population here in the South East produce 350,000 candidates for WASCE yearly. How do you reconcile that?

“The disparity in Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, cut off mark between the north and southern students embitters South East students. They strongly believe that if the oil wells that sustain Nigeria were located in the North East or North West that Nigeria would have split decades ago.

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“They believe that the peace of 1970 was forced on them with the help of Russian jets, Egyptians pilots, British military advisers and the wicked blockade that led to starvation, everybody knows that the peace of Nigeria is the one that is forced on people by the force of arm, but peace that endures is agreed by consensus and built on true federalism; peace that gives everybody a sense of belonging where nobody is born to rule and no section is oppressed, that is the peace everybody wants.

And the peace Nigeria needs, these boys are angry because some people in Nigeria have sworn that they will block every attempt at amicably addressing the unresolved national question.”

You may read the rest of the interview here

The post I Am Worried About Biafra Protesters Running Into Fulani Herdsmen – Igbo Youth Leader appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.

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