A pan-Igbo group, the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), has raised an alarm that there are subterranean plans by some powerful interests to conquer, occupy and enslave the Igbo people in Nigeria.
The socio-cultural-political group at an emergency meeting of a “consultative caucus of concerned pan-Igbo” organizations on Friday said it met to deliberate on issues of “grave and urgent importance that threaten the peace, development and security situation in Alaigbo and elsewhere in the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
In a communiqué made available to the Press, the ADF said: “There is obvious agenda of a bloody Islamisation and jihad to conquer, occupy, take over and enslave Alaigbo and elsewhere in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had warned of a possible “Fulanisation” of the country but the Presidency refuted the claim.
The ADF, whose focus is rebuilding and development of the Igbo nation and the rebirth, advancing the spirit of its culture and civilization urged Igbo people not to be caught unawares.
“Ndigbo should do everything in their power to defend themselves, their wives, children and their ancestral land,” said the statement, which was signed by Prof Uzodinma Nwala, ADF President, Prof. Nath Aniekwu, ADF Secretary, and eight other leaders of various Ndigbo groups.
It added that it would set up a joint-committee of pan-organizations and prepare a memorandum in order to alert the Igbo in Nigeria and all over the world on peace, development, and security of “Alaigbo”.
The ADF said it was also working on getting all stakeholders in the South-east, including the government and traditional institutions to pursue a common agenda in the interest of the survival of the Igbo.
As part of its approaches to deal with the alleged existential threat, the group stated further that it would make efforts worldwide so that all Igbo people liaise with “the patriotic pan-Igbo organizations” to ensure that needed resources in “Alaigbo support all the patriotic forces” engaged in the struggle for Igbo emancipation and security.
The Igbo group did not, however, ignore working with other nations, urging its people to “seek possible working relationship with other nationalities to ensure the collective defence of their territories from the jihadists”.
SOURCE: SAHARAREPORTERS