Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who was attacked by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Saturday in Nuremberg, Germany arrived Abuja Monday evening and was accorded heroic welcome by his supporters
Ekweremadu who said he was unruffled by the attack, advised Nigerians, including Igbo leaders to feel free to travel to any part of the world they wished to, maintaining that the attitude of his assailants did not represent the dispositions and behaviour of Nigerians in the diaspora.
“I think they were just people, who were misdirected and misguided. I had the feeling they were under the influence of alcohol. They don’t represent the feelings of our people. There is nothing to worry about.
“The organisers, the Igbo in Germany, have written a letter apologising for what happened. Everybody is free to go anywhere because those ones don’t represent the behaviour of Nigerians abroad.
“For me, I have moved on. The government and authorities of Germany are free to do whatever they wish about it”, he said.
On what he would do in the face of the attack by IPOB and the threats to attack more Igbo leaders, especially the governors of the South East, Ekweremadu said: “let me just say that the leaders he (Kanu) was mentioning were responsible for getting him out of jail in the first place.
“What we will do in this circumstance is to leave him to his conscience, the verdict of history, and possibly the repercussions of ingratitude. But I hope he won’t go to the extent of attacking any of the South East leaders anywhere”.
Ekweremadu in a statement signed by his Media Aide, Uche Anichukwu maintained that he had no regrets speaking of for justice for Ndigbo and helping to facilitate Kanu’s release, saying he believed in justice for all irrespective of tribe, religion or region.
“First of all, I am a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My job is to speak out when there is injustice anywhere. We have problem in the North East. I have visited the North East. I visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps there. I donated money. I sent relief materials. We had problem in the South-South, I visited the creeks and saw the environmental challenges there for myself.
“I was one of the few people the late President Musa Yar’Adua consulted before he decided on the issue of amnesty. I was the person, who advised him that he needed to call a meeting of the Council of State. So, he had to invite the then Attorney General to discuss that issue with me and I advised them on the constitutional implications of amnesty.
“So, I have always spoken out on matters that concern Nigerians no matter where they come from. I believe in justice for all. It had nothing to do with IPOB”, he added.
James Kwen, Abuja
