The attack on former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Saturday in Nuremberg, Germany which has received wide condemnations could be a pointer to something more dangerous to come.
The action seems to be a clear signal of the cumulative anger, provocation and frustration of Nigerians who have left the country painfully to other climes where they are not finding it easy either, have towards leaders at all levels whom they believe are not doing much to address their grievances.
As former Minister of Aviation and a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Femi Fani-Kayode asserted that what happened to Ekweremadu was an eye-opener and clear signal to every political leader in southern Nigeria.
According to Fani-Kayode, “what happened to my friend and brother Sen. Ike Ekweremadu in Nuremberg, Germany at the hands of IPOB is an eye-opener and clear signal to every political leader in southern Nigeria!
“The people of the south are getting angry and you either stand up and defend them or stand aside”, he tweeted.
IPOB did not leave anyone in doubt as the reason behind their Saturday action as it reportedly said it has ordered its members in 100 countries across the world to attack Igbo leaders anytime they see them in any part of the world.
IPOB listed other leaders marked for such attacks to include Governors David Umahi of Ebonyi, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Willie Obiano of Anambra state.
The group also put on notice Ndigbo leaders such as the President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, whom it accused of supporting a military operation in the South-east.
Recall that, Operation Python Dance was launched by the Nigerian Army in the South-east in 2016 in the wake of protests by IPOB members who were demanding secession from the country and the army raided Umuahia, Abia State, the hometown of the leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu. The secessionist group was later proscribed by a law court and tagged a terrorist organization as their leader Kanu, fled into exile. He reappeared in 2018 to continue his agitation.
IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful in a statement, said the directive to attack Igbo leaders was given by the IPOB leader and the attack on Ekweremadu, in Nuremberg, Germany on Saturday was in obedience to the order.
The statement reads, “the Nuremberg IPOB family in Germany in keeping with the long-standing directive from our leader to hound all instigators of Operation Python Dance, IPOB is glad to report that Ike Ekweremadu was confronted and duly hounded out of a so-called New Yam Festival event in Germany.
“Despite repeated warnings to the organisers of these jamborees that Enugu, Ebonyi and other parts of Biafraland is under siege by Fulani caliphate and their collaborators within, they went ahead to invite a known traitor, co-conspirator and one of those that worked with Igbo governors to proscribe and tag IPOB a terror organisation while they never raised any voice against murderous Fulani herdsmen.
“This should serve as a warning to Nnia Nwodo, Dave Umahi, Okezie Ikpeazu, Willie Obiano and co that any day we find them in a public event abroad, they will be humiliated. IPOB is strategically located in over 100 countries around the world. Anywhere we find them, they will be dealt with”.
A wider dimension was added to the ugly development by a public affairs analyst, Katch Ononuju, who warned Nigerians not to interpret Saturday’s attack on Ekweremadu as an IPOB affairs but a new trend which has emerged to draw the attention of the leaders to the frustration of the citizens.
Although he condemned the physical assault on Ekweremadu, he warned that very soon all the leaders might be stopped from going abroad to seek medical attention and even their children may not be safe schooling abroad again as they could be attacked.
He noted that this is just the beginning of a new trend where frustrated citizens have found an outlet to vent their anger against leaders that have looted the nation.
” The people are now saying that you cannot bring your children abroad to school if you cannot fix the schools in Nigeria, you cannot come abroad again to seek medication if you cannot fix the hospitals in Nigeria,”Ononuju said.
BusinessDay gathered on Monday that some prominent politicians, who have scheduled trips abroad have cancelled those trips for fear of attacks as the IPOB has vowed to intensify their assault on leaders who have been identified as ‘enemies’ of the Nigerian People especially those who have been allegedly fingered to have rigged the 2019 general elections and those who have allegedly looted the nation. These leaders
according to BusinessDay finding cut across all parts of the country and not just the people of South East extraction.
Again, Ononuju said ” it is dangerous to the point that most people don’t want to travel again,” adding that “there are serious cancelations accross the country by leaders.”
He noted that the situation of the elite is made worse by the fact that protests are allowed in most Western countries and other developed democracies, where the Nigerian leaders may not be allowed their personal security details.
There are insinuations that the Nuremberg incident is a more grim version of “#RevolutionNow” protest, which rocked the nation on Monday August 5 and led to the arrest and detention of one of the conveners, Omoleye Sowore.
No doubts a new dimension has been added to protests against Nigerians leaders outside the shores of the country but how far this will go lies within the bowels of time.
Innocent Odoh and James Kwen, Abuja
