Condemning the profiling of Igbos, especially in Lagos, and other parts of Nigeria for the attack, the Council reminded Nigerians and authorities that the current events were similar incidents that triggered the 30-month civil war that claimed the lives of millions of Nigerians.

The Elders, in a communique, issued at the end of its emergency virtual meeting, held on Wednesday, which was made available to journalists in Enugu, on Thursday, had in attendance –  members from Nigeria, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy and other parts of the world.

It directed Ohanaeze Ndigbo in collaboration with the Council, to set up a Committee of Enquiry to carry out a full investigation into the killings and destruction of properties and assets of Ndigbo in Lagos. 

It also set up an emergency telephone line, where Igbos in Lagos, who are victimised because of their origin could make reports.

The Council which unequivocally stated that Igbo people are not at war with the Yoruba or any other ethnic grouping in Nigeria emphasised that terms of reference of the report of enquiry must indicate: “Number of Igbos killed, number of Igbos injured and hospitalised, number of Igbos permanently incapacitated and comprehensive report of Igbo assets and properties destroyed, including the burning of markets.”

 The communique was signed by the Chairman, Council of Elders in Nigeria, Chief Emmanuel C. Iwuanyanwu; Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Okey Emuchay; Chief Simon N. Okeke, Nigeria; Elder Adolphus Umunnakwe Agbasonu, Europe; Mazi Ignatius Muotoh, Europe; Prof. Godfrey Ajoku, USA; Chief Kingsley Obaji, USA and National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia.

According to the resolution, the emergency Council meeting was convened to review the painful and agonising experiences of the Igbo in Lagos during the recent general elections.  

It observed that during the election, innocent Igbo residents in Lagos, who came out as patriotic Nigerians, to cast their votes were assaulted, brutalised and some killed in the process, by some miscreants and thugs recruited by some desperate politicians.  

It communique partly read, “These unpatriotic Nigerians destroyed properties belonging to the Igbo, for example, a whole market was burnt. The information available to us reveal that they are still threatening the lives of Igbo and their properties in Lagos State.  

“The Elders, at this meeting, critically reviewed the Igbo experiences in Nigeria and unanimously agreed that Igbos, since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, have remained committed towards peace, progress and economic development of Nigeria.

“The Igbo at various times, demonstrated this commitment through the activities of some of their sons and daughters. 

The Elders recalled with sadness and deep regret, the events of 1966 that led to the Nigerian civil war. The civil war destroyed many Igbo lives and properties. Indeed, Ndigbo at the end of the civil war in January 1970, were impoverished and brutalised physically and materially. The Elders drew a similarity between the current events in Lagos to those that led to the civil war,” it noted.

The communique maintained, “In the recent events, the Igbo were attacked during the Lagos governorship election for voting for political parties of their choice in an election which featured only Yoruba candidates. All the candidates for the election in Lagos State were Lagosian or Yorubas. It is therefore strange, unjust and inconceivable to profile the Igbo and their assets for destruction because they exercised their franchise in favour of the Yoruba candidates.

It was observed that any Igbo man who attempted to defend himself was branded a thug, arrested and detained while the assailants who manifested and exemplified thuggery were freed,” it further alleged.

While advising Igbo people living in Lagos to remain calm and go about their normal businesses, the Council called on the state governor, Babajide Sanwolu, to use his office as the Chief Security Officer of Lagos State, to protect Igbo lives and properties and ensure that the Igbo who are maliciously detained in the various police stations are released immediately.

“We have been in touch with some leaders of Lagos State and we are convinced that there is no state of war or crisis between the Igbo in Lagos and Lagosian or Yorubas, rather, it is the handiwork of a few desperate politicians and miscreants,” the Elders Council insisted.

It added, “We also intend to point out to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governor of Lagos State that, just as the votes cast for the Labour Party in Lagos State could not have been from the Igbo community alone, there are numerous Igbos in Lagos State who are not only staunch members of the APC, but vehemently supported and voted for the APC in all the elections.”

“The Elders, therefore, resolved to take the following actions, “To formally petition the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, in order to express our sadness and disappointment over this unfortunate development. We also intend to send a protest letter to the National Assembly and other relevant agencies, to express our feelings.

“High powered Igbo delegation will be sent to Lagos, to meet with some leaders of Lagos State in order to establish a lasting cordial and peaceful relationship between the Igbo and the Yoruba in Lagos.

“The Elders have directed the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in association with the Council of Elders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to set up an Enquiry to carry out a full investigation into the killings and destruction of properties and assets of Ndigbos in Lagos.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo will ensure that all perpetrators of this criminal activity are brought to book and adequate reparation/ compensations paid to the victims,” it remarked.

Concluding, the Council deposed, “The Elders have resolved that Ndigbo will no longer fold their hands and watch their kit and kin humiliated, brutalised and killed.

“Based on the foregoing, the Council of Elders directed Ohanaeze Ndigbo to set up an Emergency Telephone Line where Igbos in Lagos who are victimised because of their Igbo origin will report.”

This was made known by the Secretary-General of the organisation, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.

Isiguzoro said the killings in the South-East would subside if Buhari allows the IPOB leader to address Nigerians.

Speaking on the activities of gunmen linked to Ekpa, the organisation’s Secretary-General reiterated his stance on a plot to destabilise the 2023 elections in the South-East using Ekpa.

According to Isiguzoro, “This madness of sit-at-home and incessant killings and insecurity we are witnessing in the Southeast can be traced to the continuous incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, which Simon Ekpa is taking undue advantage of.

Ekpa is an opportunist, fame and fortune seeker who saw the window and lapses of Kanu’s detention as an opportunity for him to venture into his journey of amassing wealth from politicians and destroying the people of the South-East.

“The only cure to this madness of Simon Ekpa is a passionate appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to allow the leader of IPOB to address Ndigbo possibly this February before the elections, because there is a grand conspiracy by some external enemies of Ndigbo, and they are using Ekpa to shortchange and ensure that there is an election boycott in the South-East.

The only cure to this Ekpa’s madness is for Buhari to allow Kanu, even if it’s a five-minute broadcast because Kanu has continued to say through his lawyers that these killings and insecurity in the Southeast should end. 

The activities of unknown gunmen instigated by Ekpa should end, and why there has been no effect on those messages is that the people doubt if those messages are from Nnamdi Kanu.

“So, in order to have a peaceful election, the Federal Government should give Nnamdi Kanu a five-minute broadcast to talk to the people of the Southeast; this would end Ekpa and his madness.”

Ohanaeze aired their views via a press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia.

The group said, “We are unrelenting in our resolve to ensure that the FG toes the path of wisdom by conceding to the proposal for Dialogue and Alternative Dispute Resolution which will ensure the unconditional freedom of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and all members of IPOB detained across Nigeria.”

In the statement titled, Ohanaeze wins as FG produces Nnamdi Kanu in court, the group opined that the government has bowed to pressure by producing their leader in court.

The statement read, “The diplomatic engagements by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide under the able leadership of His Excellency, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor has apparently yielded a positive result as the Federal Government has through the Department of State Security bowed to the overwhelming demands of Ndigbo by producing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Court. This is one step forward in Ohanaeze’s determined moves towards ensuring that the Afara Ukwu Prince is set free in no distant time. The Monitoring Team of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by former governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Nwosu, Ezeigbo 1 of Abuja, Barr. Goddy Uwazurike were also in court to monitor proceedings and report back to the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.”

Kanu was arrested in Kenya on June 27 and extradited to Nigeria on June 29 and has been in DSS custody since then. IPOB in a statement released a few days ago announced that it will enforce a lockdown every Monday in the South-east until Kanu is released. The group said the lockdown tagged ‘Ghost Monday’ will also affect schools and marketplaces.

However in a statement released by its secretary-general, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide kicked against the sit-at-home order saying it will further worsen the economic woes of the region.

The statement reads “We are in support of any civil disobedience that will be peaceful and without infestations of untold hardship and economic havoc on southeastern Nigerians, we are aware of the economic losses associated with sit-at-home orders in the past but we call for caution in the issuance of fresh sit at home orders with suffering starring on the faces of Ndigbo. Southeastern governors should be consulted with other stakeholders including Igbo traditional rulers and market administrators to ascertain the consequences of sit-at-home orders in the past and the best strategies to free Nnamdi Kanu. It’s not in the best interest of Ndigbo to add more salt to injuries, there are better options that IPOB can use to push for the release of Nnamdi Kanu without infesting hardships on Ndigbo through sit-at-home.”