The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has dismissed claims that it’s leadership has issued an “urgent call to arms”, allegedly warning that every Igbo man from age 18 must get a gun because “a war is coming in days”.
Reports emanated in the social media claiming that the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator Azuta Mbata, has issued an “urgent call to arms,” allegedly warning that “every Igbo man from age 18 up must get a gun,” and urging people to “acquire weapons, foreign or locally made” because “a war is coming in days.”
But reacting in a press statement issued on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, urged members of the public to ignore the claims, describing it as a “false, malicious and incendiary” story
Chukwu also described the claims as “a product from the pit of hell”, crafted to deceive the unsuspecting public and malign the leadership and corporate integrity of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, adding that the purveyors of the story are enemies of Ndigbo and enemies of Nigeria.
He said the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide never made such infernal statements and never issued any “satanic” call to arms and never authorised any such “demonic” publication.
The statement read in part, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has noted with grave concern a false, malicious and incendiary story currently being circulated on social media platforms, falsely attributed to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and framed under a misleading ‘Breaking’ headline.
“The fake story fraudulently claims that the Ohanaeze President General issued an ‘urgent call to arms’, allegedly warning that ‘every Igbo man from age 18 up must get a gun’, and urging people to ‘acquire weapons, foreign or locally made’ because ‘a war is coming in days’.
“Let it be stated clearly, categorically and without any equivocation that Senator Azuta Mbata, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide never made such infernal statements and never issued any satanic call to arms and never authorised any such demonic publication.”
The statement continued, “This lethal narrative is a complete devilish fabrication and did not emanate from Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide or any of its recognised communication channels.
This concocted story is reckless, dangerous and criminal, deliberately designed to incite fear, provoke violence and portray Ndigbo as promoters of lawlessness.
“Senator Azuta Mbata is a respected elder statesman, esteemed amiable leader of Igbo nation and committed nationalist, whose engagement for the welfare of Ndigbo has always been anchored on peaceful advocacy, constitutionalism, justice and fairness.
“He cannot by character, record or conviction, be associated with calls for violence, illegal arms acquisition or the breakdown of law and order.”
According to him, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide remains a responsible socio-cultural organisation dedicated to dialogue, unity and peaceful coexistence within Nigeria, adding that neither the President General nor Ohanaeze can be a party to this unimaginable mischief, violent propaganda and deliberate falsehood to cause venomous destruction of the polity.
“We therefore call on the relevant security agencies to urgently trace, flush out and prosecute the author or authors of this toxic social media fabrication, as their actions pose a grave threat to public peace, national security and inter-ethnic harmony.
“Members of the public are hereby strongly advised to completely disregard this fake story. It is a product from the pit of hell, crafted to deceive the unsuspecting and malign the leadership and corporate integrity of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
“The purveyors of this lie are enemies of Ndigbo and enemies of Nigeria,” the statement concluded.
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