Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over his recent utterances on the killings in the South East.
The Igbo group while condemning the security situation in the South East said the utterances of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are not only very uncharitable but mischievous to poison undiscerning minds by insinuating that non-indigenes and security officials are killed by the terrorists in the South East.
Mallam Garba Shehu, the Special Assistant to the President on Media, had on Sunday said, “President Muhammadu Buhari condemned in strong terms the recent attacks against non-indigenes and law enforcement officials by terrorists in the South East,” calling on the “community and religious leaders to speak more forcefully against the killings and to stand up and defend the ethos of the nation’s cultural and religious heritage.”
Reacting to the report in a statement issued on Monday, titled, ‘Insecurity in the South East: Buhari is blaming the victim, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, said Ohanaeze Ndigbo condemned the killings and violence imposed on the South East by President Buhari’s administration, he cannot turn around to blame the victim.
Obiozor, in the statement issued through Ohanaeze National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, said that to appropriate national problems to the South East of Nigeria was an ethnic prejudice taken too far.
Obiozor stated, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide joins the Presidency and indeed the good people of Nigeria in condemning this dastardly act that occurred at Imo State, South East of Nigeria.
“Ohanaeze has repeatedly explained that amongst the Igbo, human life is very sacred. The sanctity of life is so elevated that killing a human being in whatever circumstance is considered an abomination. In fact, it is not in the character of the Igbo to kill in whatever disguise.