The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned the pan-Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, against apologising over the 1966 military coup on behalf of the Igbo people.
IPOB gave the warning in a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, at the weekend.
Powerful also warned the Ohanaeze leadership not to go to Sokoto to apologise to the Fulani people for the coup, which has been tagged as an ‘Igbo coup’ in some quarters.
He stated that an order would be given to treat anyone who identifies themselves as an Ohanaeze Ndigbo member as a traitor should the organisation apologise to northern Nigeria for the coup.
The statement reads in part, “Ohanaeze has crossed the red line by attempting to go and apologize to the Fulani terrorists for what the clueless Ohanaeze called forgiveness from the Caliphate for Igbo military officers involvement in the 1966 coup that led to the death of Sir Ahmadu Bello.
“By the abominable planned visit of Ohaneze Ndigbo will be on record as aggressors instead of victims.
“Ndigbo never sent military officers to stage a coup for them or to murder on their behalf. Nevertheless, the 1966 coup that was carried out by the young military officers from all the ethnic groups in Nigeria was viciously tagged as Igbo coup. Why was the military coup led by Murtala Muhammed, Babangida, Buhari, Abacha and other Northern military officers not tagged Hausa or Fulani coup?”
“And an order will be given to treat anyone that identifies himself or herself as an Ohanaeze Ndigbo member both at home and in the Diaspora as a criminal and traitor and will be treated as one. In fact, going forward, Ohanaeze Ndigbo should stop speaking or representing Ndigbo.”
Recall that the Ohanaeze President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu had said the organisation never had the intention to apologise for the 1966 coup.
Addressing journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital at the weekend, Iwuanyanwu said the coup was strictly a military affair.