The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria has condemned the recent attack on Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, IPOB members in Spain, noting that such action negates the Igbo brotherhood in Nigeria.
Amaechi was attacked by a group of IPOB members at the weekend, while attending a climate change conference in Madrid, Spain, and the spokesman, Mr. Emma Powerful, said they acted on the instruction of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to attack any Nigerian leader in foreign land.
But the attack has generated angry reactions from some IPOB members in Nigeria, who believe such action could be detrimental to the Igbo interests in Rivers and other South-South states, given the fact that “Amaechi is our brother, though from Ikwere land in Rivers state.”
This is even as the Concerned Youths of Niger Delta (CYND) have threatened to attack all Igbo interests in River State following weekend’s attack on Chibuike Amaechi.
In a communique after their emergency held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state and Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Commander Chikaru Oronda Ndamati, the group’s National Coordinator for the youths drawn from Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross River and Edo, warning IPOB against venting their anger on Amaechi and other national leaders over their personal grievances and gave them a seven-day ultimatum to apologise to the Minister.
A statement by the IPOB coordinators in Nigeria- Chief Chukwudi Michael Nwachukwu and Comrade Nduka Amarachukwu Udoji made avaialbale to journalists, warned against “actions that could put sword on the love, unity and brotherliness that bind Igbos together.”
They advised Nnamdi Kanu and his supporters in the Diaspora not to cause problems for the Igbos in Rivers and in the South-South region.
“Rotimi Amaechi is our brother because the Ikwere people in Rivers state and the larger Igbo entity in the South have common ancestral affinity.
“Instead of embarrassing him, we should instead support him because he has contributed immensely to the development of our people as former Speaker, governor and now Minister, we should be proud of he is doing for the Iigbo interest in Nigeria.
“The Igbos have strong connection with our brothers and sisters in Ikwere land in Rivers state through inter-marriages and other relationship, so nothing should be done in anger to jeopardise such inter-racial harmony”, the statement stressed.
