Igbo people resident in the United States of America, on the platform of the various organisations (World Igbo Congress, Igbo World Assembly and Nzuko Umunna) have jointly condemned an alleged shoot-at-sight order issued by the Inspector-General of police against Igbo youths.
In a statement jointly signed by the leaders of the three pan-Igbo organisations: Professor Anthony Ejiofor, World Igbo Congress; Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, Igbo World Assembly; Sir Ngozi Odumuko, Nzuko Umunna; and Elder Amadiebube Mbama, Joint Action Committee, the groups said they are aware of the worsening security challenges besetting Nigeria and the concerted efforts by both state and non-state actors to arrest the situation.
They noted how terrorism, killer herdsmen and banditry that have ravaged parts of the North are gradually descending to the southern part of the country, especially the South-East and South-South regions.
The groups said while this is a source of concern for Nigerians in general and Ndigbo in particular, the posture of the federal government and response by the law enforcement agents to the situation have been more worrisome.
“For some reasons that seem odious and ominous, the utterances from the Presidency, government and law enforcement officials are laced with a desire to turn the region into a war zone rather than seek its peace, stability and development.
“The worst case scenario was the latest comment credited to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
“On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, Nigeria’s number one law enforcement officer was quoted to have said: ‘If anyone accuses you of human rights violation, the report will come to my table and you know what I will do. So, take the battle to them wherever they are and kill them all. Don’t wait for an order.’
“This statement, if true, is a call for genocide, extrajudicial killings and human rights violations against people of the South-East and South-South regions,” the statement read.
The groups said they waited for the IGP to deny making such statements, but he never did.
“Not only are we shocked that the IGP Baba did not deny and dissociate himself from such a murderous statement but we are equally surprised that the Presidency failed to call him to order and reassure the people of the zones who are already traumatised by such order that this is not the case.
“We want to believe that this is not a state policy that continues to designate the old Eastern Region as an occupied territory since the end of the Biafra-Nigerian civil war.”
Ndigbo in the United States therefore said they have commenced actions to hold the police chief to account and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for declaration of war on citizens of Nigeria, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions.
They said further: “For emphasis, we want to bring the attention of the IGP, service chiefs and the presidency that the international conventions and international rules are not being followed in the latest rules of engagement for their operations in Igbo land and therefore, constitute acts or intent to commit genocide.
“As an organisation that believes in peace anchored on equity, fairness and justice, we urge the government to explore dialogue as an avenue to lasting peace in the regions and not a military-era shoot-on-sight order.
“We are also using this opportunity to inform the international community and human rights organisations that if the government and law enforcement agents continue with the bloodletting, then President Muhammadu Buhari and his service chiefs will have cases to answer at the International Criminal Court.”
As a lasting solution to the myriads of problems bedeviling the country, which they said have been exacerbated by the “sectional and clannish nature of the current administration,” they called on the federal government to embrace the 12-point agenda adopted by the governors of the Southern Nigeria, especially on restructuring, state policing and ban on opening grazing of livestock.
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