Nnewi-born Lagos-based politician and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC has written to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, Commander of Intelligence Response Team, Tunji Disu; five South-East Governors; Senators; House of Reps Members and other stakeholders in the region over threat to his life by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
In the open letter, Igbokwe said that detained IPOB leader, Mazi Kanu refused to adopt the measures used by Ralph Uwazuruike of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB.
The letter read in part: “A mother chicken says she is crying out to the world that a Kite stole her chick not because she can do anything to retrieve the the stolen sibling but to let the world to hear her voice. I am sure most of us would have seen the continuous threat to my life and the life of those of us who do not agree with the philosophy of IPOB and ESN bandits on Biafra agitation via armed struggle. Today they are getting bolder, threatening, bullying, killing, destroying and decimating the economy of Igboland. Today the bandits in Igboland say they have banned me from coming to Igboland. The latest threat is that I should prepare to die. This is unacceptable in the 21st Century. Blind people should not lead people with eyes. We cannot take this anymore.
Chief Uwazurike struggled for Biafra with wisdom and decency. He did not carry arms, he did not harass or abuse anybody, he was not confrontational, he did not kill anybody, he was not calling names. He was tactically and diligently doing his thing without jeopardizing the businesses of his people. He never challenged the police and neither did he abuse them. He did not attack the police formations or kill any Police officer. Chief Uwazurike is still alive today and I do hear him speak and he always speak with grace and honour. He did not hurt anybody.
Today Nnamdi Kanu is in the saddle and hell has been let loose. Threats everywhere. Confusion everywhere, deaths and destruction everywhere. Can this continue? Can we allow this vacuum to continue? Can this brigandage and banditry continue? Why are Governors not speaking? Why are Igbo intelligentsia not speaking out? What of the Bishops, the University egg heads? What about the Captains of industries, Igbo business magnates, decent Igbo in diaspora and not the economic refugees who stay abroad and foment troubles here? I can go on and on.
I still believe that Igbo leaders working with security agencies in Nigeria can do something to restore sanity in Igboland. Igboland is now what Thomas Hobbes called the STATE OF NATURE where life is brutish, nasty and short. But nobody has a monopoly of violence. Nobody can say he or she is the best God ever created or the final bus stop in Igboland. In Anambra State, a friend told me how IPOB and ESN destroyed all street lights leading to his home because they said that he is using the lights to monitor them.
I am told that in Nnewi, some of our people were seen clapping for the bandits destroying Nnewi Area Command. An inspector of Police was killed in the attack. This is a shame.
May we not be compelled to defend ourselves or create a parallel counter force. It will now be a struggle between Igbo Nigerians and Biafran Igbo. May we not get to this but know that we are getting close. We cannot allow blind people to lead us into a pit. We cannot allow this threat to continue. We cannot stand this brigandage any longer. Those who have ears let them hear. I know very well force will always respect force in the fullness of time”
