“It has nothing whatsoever in plans, principle and content to do with IPOB, the Nigerian Government should address all issues raised by the protesters, rather than resorting to blackmail and peddling of fallacies’’
“We say to the Presidency that the unintelligent attempt to cause frictions and divisions between the Yoruba people in the West and the Igbo people in the East is dead on arrival. We shall continue to collaborate, peacefully, for the salvation of our people’’
The statement credited to the Nigerian Presidency branding the ongoing a “Million-Man Freedom March’’ at the United Nations headquarters in New York, United States as an alliance between the agitators for Self-Determination In Yoruba land and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been described as an unintelligent attempt to paint the peaceful demonstration black.
“It has nothing whatsoever in plans, principle and content to do with IPOB, the Nigerian Government should address all issues raised by the protesters, rather than resorting to blackmail and peddling of fallacies,’’ the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS) said on Thursday.
“We say to the Presidency that the unintelligent attempt to cause frictions and divisions between the Yoruba people in the West and the Igbo people in the East is dead on arrival. We shall continue to collaborate, peacefully, for the salvation of our people.’’
The Chairman of NINAS, Prof. Banji Akintoye, a renowned Historian, said rather than losing sleep and temper over the march, the Nigerian Government should, without further delay, declare Miyyetii Allah a terrorist organisation as being demanded by NINAS.
“The real terrorists in Nigeria are operating under Miyyetii Allah,’’ he said in a statement by his Communications Manager, Mr Maxwell Adeleye, and given to Persecondnews.
Akintoye pointed out that the Presidency is jolted because NINAS has succeeded in exposing to the world the ongoing genocide and fraud being perpetrated by what he called the Fulani-controlled Nigerian Government against the peoples of the South and Middle-Belt Regions of the country through the imposed 1999 Constitution.
Persecondnews had reported that the Presidency said on Wednesday that the staging of the protest in collaboration with IPOB was shocking.
It said :“It was, however shocking, to see “Yoruba Nation” advocates yesterday unequivocally throw their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“IPOB is a designated terrorist organisation. It has now publicly revealed a 50,000 strong paramilitary organization.”
The Presidency faulted Yoruba Nation agitators for “keeping association” with lPOB and threatened to “judge the Yoruba Nation agitators by the company they keep”, saying that no one should take them seriously.
“It regularly murders security services and innocent civilians with a significant uptick of violent attacks this year. And it is currently attempting to hold Nigerian states hostage with orders to stay at home under threat of terror. Without doubt, Nigerians and the entire world will judge Yoruba Nation by the company it keeps.
“No one can take seriously this organisation if it continues its IPOB association. When their allies systematically trample human rights, it raises sober questions about their claims to uphold the values of the UN,” the Buhari Presidency said in a statement by Mr Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.
Akintoye continued:“Members of Miyyetii Allah have killed scores and thousands of the people in the South and Middle-Belt Regions of Nigeria. They have invaded hundreds of towns and villages, brandishing dangerous weapons to kill, maim and rape our people. The Nigerian Government has done nothing to curtail these marauders.
“Rather than listen to the yearnings and aspirations of our people, the Buhari led Government has consistently waged war against people who attempt to checkmate the menace of Miyyetii Allah in the name of grazing of Cows.
“The genocide and crimes against humanity being committed by Miyyetii Allah means nothing to the Nigerian Presidency. The Presidency has declared our Governors in the South personal non-grata for enacting laws to checkmate the murderous activities of Miyyetii Allah.
“Now, the Government is attempting, unintelligently, to criminalise peaceful organisations like NINAS, Ilana Omo Oodua, Lower Niger Congress and Middle-Belt Rennaissance Movement for embarking on a peaceful March outside the shores of Nigeria where the guns and ammunitions of the Presidency cannot touch them.
“For the record, we wish to state very expressly, and with all due respect to whatever they represent, that NINAS and its affiliate organisations – Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), Lower Niger Congress (LNC) and Middle-Belt Rennaissance Movement (MBRM) have nothing whatsoever to do with IPOB.
“We also want to put it on record that IPOB is not in any way involve in the ongoing March in New York. The IPOB Banner you saw was obviously planted by agents of the Nigerian Government masquerading as members of NINAS for photo shoots which we have since unraveled and checkmated.
“Our appeal to the Government, therefore, is to address the issues raised in the December 16 2020 Constitution Force Majure declared by NINAS. This appeal is necessary so that Indigenous Nationalities in NINAS Territories can peacefully negotiate for what they want without further delay.’’
The professor of history also restated:“Our demand remains conduct of a referendum so that the Indigenous people of the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria can lawfully and legally decide on their nationhood and sovereignty. We demand for the immediate abolition of the imposed 1999 Constitution.
“We demand an end to the genocide being perpetrated by Miyyetii Allah against our people. Miyyetii Allah is a Terrorist group and it should be declared such by the United Nations. The invasion of our land in the name of grazing is enough. What is happening in our territories today is state-sponsored terrorism and land grab, not cow grazing.
“Instead of planting IPOB banners in our March venue with the hope of using it to paint our struggle black before the world leaders on 24th September that he want to address UNGA, we advise President Muhammad Buhari to stop mortgaging our future through borrowing of endless loans.
“We shall resume the March on 24th September, Opposite the United Nations Headquaters to tell President Muhammadu Buhari to his face that his Miyyetii Allah people are the enemy Number One of the people of South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria, and they are the authentic terrorists.’’
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