Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Factional Secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, announced that the people of the southeastern zone will not participate in the planned nationwide protests against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
The protests, scheduled from August 1st to 10th, 2024, aim to address the severe economic challenges in the country. Isiguzoro stated in a statement on Tuesday that the Igbo community will not allow themselves to be manipulated again, highlighting their previous experiences of being used as sacrificial pawns in past riots.
Isiguzoro highlighted that previous incidents of violence have caused significant harm to the Igbo people and their belongings. He emphasized that the primary concern for the South-East region is the release of Nnamdi Kanu, rather than taking part in the nationwide protests.
The statement reads: “Drawing from the painful history of past riots and protests in Nigeria, such as the 17th April 1978 ALI MUST GO Protests, the 24th May 1989 ANTI-SAP RIOTS, the 1993 June 12 protests, the 2nd-14th January 2012 OCCUPY NIGERIA protests, and the 20th October 2020 END SARS protests, which resulted in immense losses of Igbo lives and properties, OHANAEZE NDIGBO highlights the fact that Igbos have often been used as sacrificial lambs in the course of these protests.
“In the interest of protecting the lives and properties of Igbos across the country, OHANAEZE NDIGBO has made the decision to direct Igbos at home and in the diaspora to refrain from participating in the nationwide protests scheduled for August 1st-10th, 2024, for the following reasons.
“Firstly, the security challenges in the Southeast region make it imprudent to allow any form of protest or riot to occur. Any attempt to enforce protests in the southeast will only exacerbate the already precarious security situation in the region.
“Extremists and criminals may take advantage of such protests to instigate violence, loot properties, and cause chaos. Therefore, it is not advisable for any protests to take place in the southeast.
It added, “Secondly, with the fear of Igbos being used as sacrificial lambs in the upcoming protests nationwide, OHANAEZE NDIGBO advises Igbo residents in the 19 Northern States and Southwest to boycott the protests for their own safety and security. Staying away from the protests is crucial to safeguarding their well-being.”
