From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has responded to the recent claims of Islamic scholar, Sheik Gumi, that bandits and Fulani herdsmen are similar to freedom fighters.
A statement by the media and publicity secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, described Gumi’s comparison as incredible and provocative.
“Gumi in the said media report, allegedly compared agitators of Biafra and Oduduwa republics with his Fulani bandits rampaging the north and ravaging the entire south. Such a statement if true, has simply unmasked and exposed the real identify of this man masquerading as an Islamic cleric when in actual fact he is one of the hardened supporters of Fulani terrorism.
“With such ignorance laden utterance from a supposed Islamic scholar, the world does not need to look far for the real sponsors of banditry and terrorism in Nigeria. We now know those behind the killing spree and evil agenda to decimate indigenous ethnic populations and non-muslim communities across Nigeria. He even posed for a picture with gun wielding murderers and was very proud of it. How was it that this man managed to locate the hideout of these mass murderers but Nigeria airforce cannot? How come there hasn’t been any invasion or bombing of any these bandit settlements in the north but the same Nigeria Airforce were quick to deploy fighter jets to be terrorising innocent citizens in Orlu?
“Sheik Gumi can no longer differentiate between self determination which is a constitutionally guaranteed right and terrorism which is a crime. This hypocrisy has confirmed our earlier position that terrorism and banditry in Nigeria are common agenda of the caliphate. ISWAP, bandits and Fulani herdsmen are one and the same people whose common aim is to decimate the indigenous populations in Nigeria and ultimately Fulanise the country. It is an insult to freedom fighters all over the world to be compared with blood-sucking demons in human clothing like Fulani herdsmen. We want to let Gumi and his fellow Fulani Boko Haram and bandits to understand that Biafrans will never allow Fulani to take any inch of Biafraland under the guise of one Nigeria fake unity,” Powerful said.
