Following the outrage that greeted the news of bombs planted in the Living
Faith Church, popularly called the Winners’ Chapel, in Owerri, the Imo State
capital, the Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has
warned terrorists to stay off the Southeast and threatened to “bring down”
Nigeria should any part of the Southeast be bombed.
Six suspects are being held for the explosives. The motive of the planned
bombing and its planners remain unknown.
MASSOB leader Ralph Uwazuruike, who spoke in a telephone interview with The
Nation, warned that his group would no longer tolerate the mindless
killing of Ndigbo in any part of the country.
According to him, the movement would “retaliate with equal and decisive
force if terrorists attack any city in the zone”.
His words: “The position of MASSOB on this matter is firm. We will bring
down Nigeria, if any bomb goes off in the Southeast. We can no longer tolerate
the mindless killing of Ndigbo in any part of Nigeria because we will retaliate
with equal force against any attack on any part of Igboland.”
The group also warned against what it described as the deliberate posting of
military, police, Customs and Immigration officers, who are Igbo, to the
Northeast to confront the Boko Haram insurgents.
It alleged that their counterparts from the North were being posted to the
Southeast for safety. But
MASSOB claimed that such a measure was part of the grand plan of the
pre-Nigerian civil war agenda to totally annihilate Igbo officers and men in
the nation’s military by the powers that be.
The Director General of the Organisation of Biafra Music and Film Authority
(OBMFA), Evang. David Eboson, in an interview, said the organisation was
concerned with the way Boko Haram insurgents had been killing innocent
Nigerians, including Igbo soldiers in the North, especially in the last three
months.
Eboson, who described the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents as a sign
of God’s anger against Nigeria, said it was high time Nigeria let Biafra exist
as a sovereign state.
He said the convocation of the National Conference by the Federal Government
was deceitful and was not going to serve any useful purpose so far Ndigbo
remains part of Nigeria.
“The Federal Government is deceiving the public with the National Conference
because it is a moonlight play. The problems of Nigeria would only be solved if
the Igbo are allowed to go and serve their Lord,” Eboson said.
The Imo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the
Campaign for Democracy (CD) has condemned the foiled terrorist attack.
Speaking during a solidarity visit to the Winners’ Chapel, where Improvised
Explosive Device (IEDs) were discovered, the state Chairman of the party, Sir
Nnamdi Anyaehie, observed that if the terrorists had succeeded with their plot,
it could have had a devastating effect on the state.
He pointed out that “in the last few months, the PDP had raised the alarm
over looming security threat in the state following infiltration by
strange-looking aliens, but it was dismissed as a political statement”. “But
with this discovery, we have been exonerated.”
The PDP Chairman, who was accompanied by the State Secretary of the party,
Chief George Eguh and the Publicity Secretary, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, called on
security operatives to ensure that those behind the dastardly act are brought
to book”.
Also condemning the averted attack, the Southeast Chairman of the Campaign
for Democracy (CD), Dede Uzor A. Uzor, urged security operatives in the
Southeast to take proactive measures to protect lives and
properties in the
zone.
He said: “Security agencies in the zone should step up measures to arrest
the new security challenge because it is now obvious that the terrorists have
crept into the Southeast.”
Also yesterday, the governors of the Southeast were urged to initiate a free
comprehensive biometric registration scheme for all residents.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) made the call
yesterday in a statement condemning the failed bomb attack.
HURIWA also canvassed an investigation into a statement credited to the
Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, that insurgents would extend
their bombing campaign.
The National Coordinator of the body, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National
Media Director Miss Zainab Yusuf said the comment should be probed to ascertain
whether the Sunday bomb attempt has any connection with it.
It also called on politicians to be circumspect with their public statements
on the ongoing insurgency to avoid providing psychological boost for the
terrorists.
The political leadership of the Southeast, especially the governors, local
council chairmen and traditional rulers were also advised to always stay in
their jurisdictions, fashion out counter-terrorism measures and mobilise their
wards and others to stave off possible infiltration by terrorists.
“The Houses of Assembly of the Southeast states should make binding
legislations to compel the governors to spend at least 85 per cent of the
entire tenure provided under the extant constitution within their states and
only travel when it is absolutely necessary to so do for the public interest of
the people,” HURIWA said.
It also urged prominent investors and business owners based in the Southeast
to work out fool-proof security measures to prevent any possible bomb attacks.
The group demanded the setting up of youth-led volunteer groups in the
Southeast to monitor “strange movements” and to enlighten the populace on ways
and means of remaining ahead of terrorists.
The police on Sunday in Owerri uncovered the IEDs at the church’s auditorium
and the car park.
The bombs were believed to have been planted by suspected terrorists.
The discovery prompted the bomb disposal unit of the police to shut the
church and order worshippers to relocate to another place for the Sunday
service.
Police spokesman Andrew Enwerem said the IEDs were discovered by their men
following a tip-off by the security guards attached to the church.
Enwerem said the explosives were already primed and could have detonated
during the service, but for the Bomb Disposal Unit officers, who removed the
IEDs and defused them.
No comments:
Post a Comment