The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has condemned the attack and burning of the country home of former Senator Frank Ibezim and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) study centre in Nsu in Ehime Mbano, by gunmen.
The OYC, which described the attack as a direct assault and attack on the entire people of the South-East region of Nigeria, demanded the arrest and prosecution of all the perpetrators of the act.
Some gunmen on Monday night attacked the NOUN study centre and Senator Ibezim’s country home.
A video clip making the rounds on the internet showed Ibezim’s house gutted by fire with a voice in the background lamenting the level of destruction.
Reacting to the incident, the Ohanaeze Youth Council called on Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to constitute an independent judicial commission of inquiry to conduct an exhaustive investigation on the incident and ensure that the culprits face justice.
The Council in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka and the Secretary General, Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Nweke, said it is unfortunate that certain individuals in the South-East have exploited the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for illicit activities.
He said, “These individuals often collaborate with desperate political shenanigans in the region who seek to undermine and discredit their political opponents through various means.
“Nnamdi Kanu has repeatedly warned against using IPOB or his name to perpetrate harm against Igbo individuals or wreak havoc in Igboland, thus, any linkage of IPOB to criminal acts in the Southeast is no longer tenable.
“Every rational and discerning Igbo individual should recognise that the reprehensible act of setting Senator Frank Ibezim’s house and the National Open University, Nsu, on fire constitutes a grave offense against the Igbo people and our collective development.”
The Council said “some Ndigbo have misinterpreted the establishment of a Skills Acquisition Center at National Open University, Nsu, by the Federal Commissioner of Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, raising concerns that sentimentalism and baseless fears, rooted in past federal government policies, are pervasive.
“Sadly, the prevailing generation of Igbo extraction exhibit a marked decline in analytical thinking and investigative spirit, now predominantly driven by emotional and sentimental responses rather than diligent research to establish factual accuracy, that it seems that Ndigbo can believe rumours of a mad man from dustbin.”
OYC said, “It is lamentable that the Southeast’s insecurity and violence, fueled by certain criminal elements masquerading as Biafra activists, and mismanaged by Federal Government confrontation under the then President Mohammadu Buhari have resulted in unwarranted prejudice against numerous innocent Igbo individuals, reminiscent of Jesus Christ’s ordeal at the hands of the Pharisees.
“In a similar vein, Senator Frank Ibezim has been unfairly targeted by those he intended to empower through skill acquisition programs at Open University Nsu Center.
“Would Ndigbo not face international ridicule for demolishing a federal initiative aimed at empowering unemployed youths within their territory? Would the broader Nigerian population not view Ndigbo with disdain for attacking Senator Frank Ibezim, a visionary leader who brought a project beneficial to the youths, but rewarded with setting his residence ablaze?
“The individuals responsible for setting Senator Frank Ibezim’s house and the National Open University Nsu Center ablaze have not only committed a serious crime, but according to the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), such an act constitutes an ‘abomination and sacrilege in Igboland.
“Investigations conducted by the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) have uncovered that the Skill Acquisitions training center, founded by the Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, and Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, is a comprehensive national initiative providing empowerment opportunities across various zones in different IDP camps.”
