Ohaneze Ndigbo says God using the insurgency to punish northern Nigeria for its civil war crimes

PAN-cultural group Ohaneze Ndigbo has reacted to the recent statement made by the sultan of Sokoto saying that God was punishing northern Nigeria for its sins by sending an insurgency to plague them pointing out that it is their punishment for killing 2m Igbos.

 

During the Nigerian civil war which lasted between July 1967 and January 1970, some 2m Igbo died, most of them children who perished from starvation and malnutrition. Nigeria's Igbo had declared an independent Republic of Biafra but because it was blockaded by land, air and sea and produced very little food, the secessionist state was starved into submission.

 

Over the last 10 years, northern Nigeria has been bedevilled by violence and insecurity as an insurgence by Boko Haram, armed bandits and murderous Fulani cattle herdsmen have laid siege to the area.  Earlier this week, the sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, said the violence is punishment from God for the sins of the country, mostly its leaders.

 

Reacting to the comments, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (ONYC), said it agrees with the sultan as God is using the insurgency to punish northern Nigeria for killing 2m Igbos during the Biafra war. ONYC president Mazi Okechukwu Isuzoro, said that until the north repents and support a Nigerian president of Igbo stock in 2023 as a medium to ask God for forgiveness, the insurgency problem will continue to serve a punishment.

 

Mazi Isuzoro added: "OYC insists that God has given Igbos the solutions to heal the north and end her suffering and poverty but mostly Northern politicians are benefiting hugely from the insecurity challenges in the north, so it prevails."

 

Speaking about the consequences and impact of leadership failure in Nigeria especially in the north, Sultan Abubakar declared during the Fifth international Conference on Love and Tolerance, that God was using insurgents in the northern part of country to punish Nigerians for their sins. Of late, several northern leaders, traditional monarchs and academics have become vocal about its problems, saying more needs to be done to address its problems, especially the lack of education and nepotism.

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