..Assures of compensation, investigation of killers
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Igbo socio-cultural Apex body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide (ONW) has condemned in strongest terms, the killing of northerners in Abia State in the South eastern Nigeria.
A statement issued and signed by Secretary-General of the Apex body of Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and made available to Journalists in Kaduna on Saturday also commiserated with the northern leadership over the incident and sympathized with all the bereaved families and owners of the cows slaughtered in Abia State.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide (ONW) has reached out to their counterparts in the North, the Northern leadership, Muslim clerics, traditional rulers and Arewa consultative youth forum over the killings of northerners in Abia.
“We commiserate with the northern leadership over the death of northerners in Abia and we sympathize with all the bereaved families and owners of the cows slaughtered”, adding that Igbos are devoted in providing succor to the families and people affected by what happened”.
“Those who carried out these heinous conspiracies against humanity in Abia, the killers of northerners in Abia are not Igbos, the preliminary investigation revealed that they migrated from neighboring states and fled to their states after the attacks.
“We commended the Northern Elders Forum, Arewa Consultative Youth Forum, Coalition of Northern Groups for their quick intervention to forestall possible breakdown of Law and Order, especially reprisals against Igbos living in the North”, it stated.
The statement added that “Northern Leaders protected Igbos lives and properties, and commended them accordingly”, also saying that Abia State Government has shown maturity in handling the matter.
“We advised that full compensation must be paid to the bereaved families and people who businesses were destroyed in Abia, as it will be the balm to soothe the pains and trauma of those who lost their beloved ones”.
“We will continue to work with the northern leadership to ensure that the interests of North and Eastern Nigeria are protected. “We categorically wish to state unequivocally that nobody will stop the north from doing their cattle businesses in the South, especially it must be by the laws of the land, we dismiss the IPOB’s threat to ban cattle business in the East.
“Igbos are doing businesses in the North unmolested, so nobody will harass the those doing business in the East, as Igbos are not happy with the killer herdsmen which Igbos had to differentiate between the two”, it stated.
