Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the leading Igbo sociocultural group, has denounced the assassination of eight security personnel in Imo State by unidentified gunmen.
The response of the group was expressed in a statement by Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, its national president.
Okwu, who expressed regret over the killing of the security personnel, claimed that such a conduct was contrary to the values that Ndigbo were renowned for.
The Igbo people, he continued, are renowned for their reverence for the sanctity of life and are not used to bloodshed, regardless of who is at fault.
Such savage killings of security personnel or other people are unacceptable; they are repugnant and go against the morals and conscience of the typical Igbo guy.
“We urge everyone responsible for this mayhem to put down their weapons and make room for discourse.
“The recent events confirm my belief that a security conference in the South-East is necessary, as well as a comprehensive conversation where all offended parties might air their grievances.
“May we also ask the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the nth time. This will put an end to the horrors being committed by people who are hiding behind the call for his release.
However, Okwu pleaded with security forces to refrain from going to battle with the residents of Umuezeala Owerre in Imo State’s Ehime Mbano Local Government Area.
“We are aware of the rage and outrage that this murder has caused across the various security agencies.
While expressing our sincere sorrow and sympathy to the families of the killed security personnel, we urge the Army, the Police, and the NSCDC—whose officers were killed—to exercise the utmost prudence in order to avoid retaliating against innocent community members.
We are pleading for moderation since a poorly targeted retaliation attack would only harm innocent people, Okwu said.
