Biafra: Reps put army, security agencies on red alert over relocation threat

Member of the House of Representatives on Thursday called on the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to be on the alert in the bid to forestall breakdown of law and order across the country following the relocation threat issued by the 16 Northern youth groups and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The lawmakers who condemned in strong terms the stand of both parties, also stressed the need for urgent intervention of Federal Government to avert national crisis.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of the motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Oghene Egoh (PDP-Lagos), who stressed the need for Federal Government’s intervention with the view to avert the destruction of lives and property, a looming disaster as a result if the action of Biafran agitators call for Ibos to return home and Arewa youths call for Ibos to leave the North on or before October 1, 2017.

“As part of the campaign by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the actualisation of Biafran Republic, Biafran agitators have called in their people to come home and shut down major towns in the South East on May 30, 2017.

He however expressed concern over the recent threat issued by the 16 Northern youth groups at the end of a joint meeting held in Kaduna on the 6th June, 2017 where they gave Igbo residing in their states up to October 1, 2017 to vacate the region days after shutting down of major towns in the South East.

“That in its reaction, the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) said it received with gladness the ‘quit notice’ and urged the Igbos to return home immediately.

“The House is concerned that the two calls create alarming twist which is ominous and dangerous for the good health of Nigerians. The House is further concerned that this motion is not interested in the merit or demerit of Biafra, nor is it interested in apportioning blame on those who made the two unpatriotic calls.

“Rather this is only concern for the nation’s leaders to immediately intervene to stop these agitations from resulting in violence that may consume the entire nation and for the National Assembly and the Presidency to wade into the issue by dialogue with the protagonist of ‘come and leave our land’ and ‘return home immediately’ groups to avoid damage to our collective nationhood.

“The House is of interest that while people have the right to their views and decisions about lives, as an institution of government, National Assembly must rise to the ocassion we find ourselves and put an end to the confusion that is brewing by appealing to both parties to withdraw their demands to avoid loss of lives especially that of innocent children, women and the trebles who are not part of the problem,” Egoh warned.

To this end end, the House urged both parties to rescind their decisions, just as the lawmakers called on Federal Government to urgently wade into the crisis on time in order to avoid loss of lives and properties that the actualisation of the parties’ threat may occasion.

KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja