THE Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has petitioned the United Nations and the United States over recent statements by President Muhammadu Buhari threatening to brutally deal with those he perceived as destabilising his administration in the South-East region of the country.

The group also petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United Kingdom and other international organisations over what it called ‘another subtle means of attacking the people of the region.’

President Buhari had, in a series of tweets on Tuesday, threatened Biafra agitators, saying that those responsible for the destructions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s properties would be treated the way a secessionist group, Biafra, was treated during the Nigerian Civil war.

“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” Buhari said.

The president’s statement, which has now been deleted by Twiter, has stirred a lot of angry reactions.

However, in a statement on Wednesday, OYC President Okwu Nnabuike said the president’s statement had revealed the level of hatred he had for the Igbo people.

The statement accused Buhari of romancing with Boko Haram members, Fulani militias while trying to serve another medicine for people it said were agitating for the rights to have their own country.

“We write to alert the international community on another planned attack against Ndigbo,” the statement said.

“This is sadly coming few days after Ndigbo held a memorial in honour of over 5 million lives wasted, including children, during the civil war. We are more concerned that this is coming from the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It is quite sad that while the same Buhari presidency is busy romancing with Boko Haram and other bandits in the North, it has in another stroke threatened massacre of Ndigbo simply for agitating to have their own country.

“We are, therefore, alerting the United Nations, the United States of America, the International Criminal Court, ICC, UK, and other international organisations of this looming attack in Igboland, as Mr. President has given the security agencies license to wipe our people out as can be deduced from his recent statement.”

While adding that several innocent Igbo youths had already been murdered under the guise of hunting for members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) by security forces under Buhari, the OYC stressed that it was imperative to petition the international community as “Buhari’s hatred for Ndigbo has now reached extreme level.”

Vincent Ufuoma

Reporter at International Centre for Investigative Reporting | Author Page

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