A coalition of pro-Biafra groups under the umbrella of Biafra Land Defenders, says it has started enforcement against “sit-at-home order” and any directive to stop elections in the southeast region of Nigeria.
They warned criminals, who hide under agitation to cause havoc, by indulging in kidnapping and destruction of lives and properties in the region to desist from such acts, as the operation has started.
The coalition condemned in strong terms the activities of criminals threatening the peace of the southeast and forcing the electorate in the geopolitical zone not to come out and participate in the 2023 general election.
Recall that the coalition of the pro-Biafra groups last month gave the criminal groups operating in the southeast till February 20, 2023, to vacate the region, or face their wrath.
Addressing newsmen in Aba on Wednesday, Ndubuisi Igwekani, leader of the coalition warned that anybody caught trying to wreak havoc, to truncate the 2023 elections in the southeast region will be treated as both enemy and criminal.
Read also: African Commission urges FG to strengthen efforts to secure elections
“Everybody should not fear any criminal threatening our people, because anyone caught in our territory will have himself to blame. I assure our people that nobody born by a woman will ever try to stop those that are coming out to vote.
“We’ll never give them such space again. Enough is enough. We’re urging our people, our mothers, our fathers, our brethren in whatever Igbo community where they dwell to comfortably come out and vote for the candidate of their choice.
“Let Onitsha Main Market traders, Ariaria International Market traders, Nkwor Nnewi traders, Ochanja, Cemetery, Ahia-Ohuru, Eke-Ukwu, Ogbete traders and traders in Igboland get ready to vote”, he advised.
Igwekani said that the southeast in 2023 must surely participate in the 2023 general election, as it is the last opportunity they are giving to Nigeria and the international community to prove that Nigeria is redeemable.
He said that now that Nigerian youths are rallying round Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, to help them to redeem the country and push it from consumption to production, all the people who love peace and want the betterment of the people have to key in and ensure that they vote, defend their votes and ensure their votes count.
“The reason why some of us decided to agitate for a sovereign State of Biafra is because Nigeria did not provide a level playing ground to allow all the ethnic groups to have a sense of belonging.
“This and other problems have been setting Nigeria backward over the years and there seems to be an opportunity to give it a trial for the last time. We’ve said earlier that if Nigeria is not ready to be redeemed, we’re also not ready to collapse with her.
“We don’t want to be the people that’ll make our own son lose the election in his own region. We can’t allow any criminal group to do that here. There must be a free, fair and peaceful election in the southeast”, he stressed.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
