Akubaraoha Youth Assembly warns Ipob to stay away from Ebonyi as they are miscreants

EBONYI State organisation the Akubaraoha Youth Assembly has warned the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) to stay from the state as they are not welcome and local people will not fold their arms while a group comes to disrupt the peace.

Over the last few days, Ipob has come under fire after its members physically assaulted the former deputy senate president Senator Ike Ekweremadu at a function in Germany. Senator Ekweremadu had been due to speak at a New Yam Festival dinner in Nuremberg but Ipob got wind of his presence and roughed him up, forcing the lawmaker to flee the venue after his clothing was torn and he was manhandled.

Following the assault, there have been calls for those responsible to face the full wrath of the law, although the German police have declared the case closed. Igbo leaders have, however, taken exception to the antic of Ipob, who they now fear will organise more attacks against them abroad.

Wading into the debate, the Akubaraoha Youth Assembly (Aya), has warned Ipob and its exiled leader Nnamdi Kanu to steer clear from Ebonyi State, adding that its youths would not fold their arms and allow any group or individual destroy the relative peace existing in the state. Mark Onu, the Aya leader, condemned the attack on Senator Ekweremadu, describing Ipob members as miscreants hiding under regional identity to perpetrate criminality.

He added: “The entire Ebonyi youths under the auspices of Akubaraoha Youth Assembly warn Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his proscribed Ipob that enough is enough on their attack and subsequent threats on the leaders of the southeast including the governor of Ebonyi State who doubles as the chairman of the South East Governors Forum, His Excellency, David Nweze Umahi. Ipob's attack on Senator Ekweremadu shows that Nnamdi Kanu a businessman.

"We observe with dismay that the embattled leader of the proscribed Ipob, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has resorted to social media channels like YouTube, Twitter and Instagram in making wild, unguided utterances and insulting our leaders. We condemn in its totality such despicable actions and therefore reiterate that in so far as Ipob is proscribed in Ebonyi and other southeastern states, Ebonyi youths cannot fold their hands and watch them destroy the relative peace enjoyed in the state under the administration of the most youth friendly governor, David Nweze Umahi.

“Insulting and making empty threats through social media platforms are indecent actions below the acceptable standard of behaviour expected of any reasonable group agitating for freedom. We therefore sternly warned Ipob to steer clear from Ebonyi as they are full of miscreants hiding under regional identity to perpetrate criminality."