Henry Emeana
IZUNWANNE, a body of senior journalists from the Southeast geopolitical zone have tackled President Muhammadu Buhari,over his recent order to operatives to deploy maximum force, including shooting-at-sight, as they carry out the ‘Operation Restore Peace’ in the South East.
Recall that Buhari through the Acting Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, had, while inaugurating the new operational strategy on May 18, in Enugu, allegedly directed his officers and men to “take the battle to them wherever they are and kill them all. Don’t wait for an order.”
IZUNWANNE described it as a call for genocide, extrajudicial killings and human rights violations against people of the South East regions.
The group condemns in strong terms the wanton violence that has suddenly engulfed the Southeast and Southsouth geo-political zones of the country, and call for the return of peace
The association also roundly condemns the attendant indiscriminate killing of innocent persons in the guise of going after the arsonists and destroyers of public facilities in the area.
A communique issued on Tuesday by Sir Abuchi Anueyiagu ,Chairman,Elder Ngwuoke Ngwuoke ,Secretary. IZUNWANNE on behalf of the group said ,” Buhari should cool his temper as the father of the country and review his “shoot at sight” order to stop security operatives from taking advantage of the order to engage in indiscriminate shootings and mowing down of the lives of many vulnerable helpless and innocent people in both southeast and Southsouth zones of the country, as is currently the case in the two zones. “
“No organisation linked with violence should be linked with Ndi Igbo as a people. Ndigbo are not in support of any group of persons who have taken to violence under whatever name or guise”
They said ,”We support a UNITED Nigeria, where equity, justice and fair play are the principles that should govern the coexistence of all peoples of the country.”
“The Igbo are peace loving enterprising people who live everywhere in Nigeria and have investments there and will never as a people support or resort to using violence as a means of settling issues with anyone. Wherever they are found outside their homelands they always live in peace with their hosts. “
“As a people, Ndigbo do not support the killing of security forces and burning of public and private properties by unknown gunmen on one hand and the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians by enraged security personnel on the other hand hand, in the Southeast geo-political zone. “
