THE President of Odimma Igbo, a socio-political organization for the promotion of the rights of Igbo people in Nigeria, Chief Eze Okeke, has appealed to the Federal Government to pay more attention to the activities of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers who are said to have taken over some parts of the country, rather than going after innocent citizens exercising their fundamental human rights of association and self- determination.
Chief Okeke made this appeal at Amankanu in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu state, during the burial of late Chief John Nnamani, a relative of Mr. Okwudilim Jesse Nnamani, an alleged member of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
Recall that Okwudilim Jesse Nnamani, was declared wanted over ten years ago, by security agencies over alleged membership of IPOB.
Chief Okeke, alleged that late Chief John Nnamani was killed by unidentified security agents during a raid on the home of Mr. Okwudilim Jesse Nnamani.
According to him, his killers had mistaken him for Okwudilim whom they thought had returned home for Christmas celebration.
He described late Chief Nnamani as an innocent citizen whose sin was that he was a relative of the suspect.
Chief Okeke in a very emotional tribute revealed that the deceased was the only heir to their family throne in the absence of Okwudilim who is on exile.
He described the continued attack on the Nnamani family and their properties as cowardly and unwarranted.
He said all appeals by individuals and groups to remove IPOB from the list of terrorist organizations in Nigeria and release its leaders and members including Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have fallen on deaf ears.
Reacting to the unsolicited presence of masked security personnel at the burial, he warned the government not to wipe out a whole family due to the alleged sin of one man who has not been tried and convicted.
He wondered why the government would want to arrest an innocent chief mourner at his cousin’s funeral without a warrant.
Chief Okeke called on the government to “pay more attention to the activities of terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits that have taken over the country instead of going after innocent citizens who are expressing their fundamental human rights.”
He described the agitation for Biafra as “a movement no violent force can stop”.
In a homily, the pastor of New Heaven Church International, Reverend Sunday James, called on all faithful to live a life of righteousness.
He described the deceased as “a dedicated christian and family man who was killed for something he did not know about”.
Reverend James called on the government to leave the families of suspects and their properties alone, stop the manhunt for Okwudilim and other Biafran agitators, and grant them amnesty like they did in northern Nigeria where amnesty was granted to members of the Boko Haram sect, a well known international terrorist organization.
He questioned the rationale for granting amnesty to terrorists and denying peaceful separatist agitators the same opportunity.
In his tribute, the youth leader of Amankanu community, Mr. Anthony Agu, described the deceased as a peaceful man and a great philanthropist who was known for showing love to the needy.
He called on the government to desist from constantly harrasing the family members of Okwudilim and wondered why they should be made to pay for the alleged sins of their son whom they have not seen in decades.
Efforts to speak with the security personnel who were at the burial proved abortive as they refused to respond to questions put across to them.
The family of the deceased denied knowledge of who invited them to the burial.
However, a family member said that they were there to effect the arrest of Okwudilim if he had shown up for the burial.
The burial which took place in Amankanu was atteded by family members, friends, and well wishers of Mr. Okwudilim Jesse Nnamani, and the entire family.
Although the mood was solemn, the event showcased the rich cultural heritage of Nkanu people of Enugu State.
IPOB is a separatist group in Nigeria that aims to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra.
Recall that the then military Governor of former Eastern region Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, on May 30, 1967, declared the former region the Republic of Biafra, a development which led to the 30-month Nigeria-Biafra war that reportedly claimed three million lives mainly children and women.
The Republic of Biafra was subsequently dissolved following its defeat by Nigerian federal forces.
Chief Okeke described the onslaught against IPOB as an abuse of the fundamental rights of Igbo people of Nigeria to seek self-determination.
