Southeast governors challenge Nnamdi Kanu to direct his attacks against Fulani cattle herdsmen

GOVERNORS from across the southeast geo-political zone have challenged Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu to turn his attention to Fulani cattle herdsmen ravaging their land rather than continue attacking Igbo leaders.

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.

Igbo leaders both at home and in the diaspora have condemned the attack, saying it is tantamount to hooliganism and an affront to Igbo culture. Ipob is campaigning for an independent state of Biafra, saying it wants to secede from Nigeria and sees Igbo politicians as impediments to this dream.

However, Mr Kanu described the Nuremberg attack by his supporters as a courageous act and polite warning, adding that a similar fate awaits other Igbo leaders, including the governors of the five states in the southeast geo-political zone. However, the governors have issued him a stern warning, saying that should he make his threat real, they would by all means repatriate him back to Nigeria to face the wrath of the people.

In a statement issued by Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, the current chairman of the South East Governors Forum, the governors said Mr Kanu should stop pretending he is fighting for Ndigbo. They challenged Mr Kanu, saying if he is serious about the wellbeing of Ndigbo, he should direct his members whom he claimed live in over 100 countries, to fight the foreign killer herdsmen in those countries.

They, however, assured the people of the region that they would continue to protect them against killer herdsmen and other insecurity and would not be distracted by cheap talk. According to the governors, they are saddened with the ugly display and dance of shame by Ipob in Germany in attacking one of the finest Igbo leaders Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

"We totally condemn it as we weep for them as they never knew the implication of their naked dance in public. We have also noted the empty threats by Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, a former ordinary member of Massob, to attack governors of southeast, the Ohanaeze leadership and other Igbo politicians for not supporting the self-acclaimed supreme leader in his self-fight for the raw power and wealth while pretending to be fighting for Ndigbo.

“We wish to warn that should any southeast person be attacked anywhere in the world, we shall, by all means, bring back Kanu to Nigeria to face the wrath of our people. It is madness for anyone who wants raw power with no experience to think that we governors will support the killing of our people giving out our scarce land to herdsmen.

“If Kanu is serious, let him direct Ipob to fight those foreign killer herdsmen in their countries of origin since he claims they are in over 100 countries in the world. If Kanu who was previously in Massob but needed power and money wants Biafra and he is the self-acclaimed supreme leader, let him come back home with his army and guns to lead us to battle for the empire he desire to lead other than cheap talks.

Soonest Ndigbo will know him better. We assure our people that we are doing so much to protect them against killer herdsmen and other insecurity problems and we have also brought kidnapping and cultism in the southeast to near zero level."