Rivers State indigenes living in the United States of America and Canada have attacked the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, over the bounty he placed on Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike.
The indigenes under the auspices of Ogbakor Ikwerre, USA/Canada (OIUSA), Inc., a socio-cultural organization, rose from their North American continental meeting and denounced Kanu for placing a bounty on Wike and asking members of the public to kill him.
Following the clash between IPOB members and security operatives in Oyigbo, Rivers State, Wike had placed N50 million bounty for the arrest of one Stanley Mgbere, who allegedly led the outlawed group to carry out the attack that supposedly led to the death of some security agents and the burning of Police Area Command, Obigbo.
In his response, the IPOB leader placed a N100 million bounty on the Rivers State governor.
But rising from their North American continental meeting at the weekend, the Rivers indigenes under the aegis of Ogbakor Ikwerre USA/Canada (OIUSA), Inc., condemned Kanu’s action.
In a statement by its president, Eric WorluWelle, OIUSA said the inciting statement by Kanu, coming at a time Nigeria was recovering from the urgly aftermath of #EndSARS protest could lead to ethnic recrimination.
He wondered “how dangerous can anyone who puts a bounty on a sitting state governor be.”
He said the governor ought to have been applauded for his position on the Oyigbo crisis because if he had not “intervened timely in the Oyigbo crisis which was fallout of the #ENDSARS protest, it would have led to bloodletting between Hausa and Igbo communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.”
WorluWelle added, “That could have also escalated and spread to parts of northern and South eastern states, potentially turning to a bloody inter-ethnic conflict. These types of unguarded provocative statements underpinned the roots of the 30-month fratricidal Civil War that claimed over a million lives of Nigerians, mostly Igbos.”
He, therefore, urged Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership and South-East traditional rulers to call the IPOB leader to order.
“We are also calling on the governors of the Southeastern states , Willie Obiano, Hope Uzodimma, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Dave Umahi to collectively and individually come out and publicly denounce the infuriating and inflaming statement made by the leader of the outlawed IPOB.
“Bounty has never been placed on a sitting governor in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and no governor in the country would like a bounty to be placed on him or her.
“Members of IPOB should not forget that most of their loved ones live and make their daily living in Port Harcourt, home of Iwhuruohna people. One begins to ask if IPOB indeed have the love of their people at heart. For its leader to call for the murder of the Governor of Rivers State is like biting the finger that feeds you.
“Earlier this year, one Ralph Uwazurike injected himself into Rivers State matter, threatening the state governor, and now, Nnamdi Kanu is calling for the murder of the governor, and offering an incentive and reward for anyone who commits the crime. Enough is enough,” WorluWelle said.
He said that OIUSA had since made an official report of the matter to the British High Commission in Nigeria, the United Nation Security Council, the American Embassy in Abuja and Lagos, the European Union Security Organization, the Nigerian Senate and Security organizations among others.
