The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Youth Wing, has berated those behind the carnage in the South East region, saying they are criminals, not freedom fighters.
The Ohanaeze Youth Wing Acting National Leader, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones made the remarks in a statement made available to News.band on Tuesday.
Speaking, Onwuasoanya said: “One cannot fail to note the desperate attempts by some individuals and even media organizations to force down the false narrative that those behind the killings, arson, economic sabotage and outright terrorism in the Southeast are freedom fighters, protesting against the age-long injustices meted on Ndigbo by successive federal administrations, and exacerbated by the current Federal Government.
“While it cannot be denied that Ndigbo have suffered the worst form of marginalization and deliberate political alienation than any ethnic nationality in the Nigerian Union, it is disingenuously dangerous that some misguided elements have been lured into meting the worst form of destruction on Ala Igbo, by those hiding under the cover of fighting for the restoration of a sovereign Biafran Republic, but who in the real sense, are merchants and mercenaries, probably sponsored by disgruntled politicians, foreign terrorist organizations and or misguided and wicked brothers of ours living in the diaspora.
“Some of these elements being used to perpetrate these heinous acts in Southeast could be political thugs created by politicians and reserved for campaign and election days, criminals and bandits converted by the sponsors and organizers of the ongoing carnage and or genuinely angry and passionate youths frustrated by the bad governance, corruption, impunity, denial of opportunities, wickedness of the political class and unfair dealings by the elites.
“These merchants of crisis and mercenaries making huge cashouts from the crisis in the Southeast, have apart from providing these criminals with ammunition and funding, also motivated them by promising them various powerful and influential positions in the imaginary Sovereign State of Biafra, when it is realized.”
Onwuasoanya lamented that both the perpetrators and their sponsors are mere merchants who see Biafra as a lucrative franchise.
He noted: “Sadly, almost all the elements who currently trade and thrive in the name of Biafra, do not have the slightest idea nor believe in any bit in the actualization of a sovereign State of Biafra.
“Rather, they see Biafra as a lucrative franchise which they can exploit for their personal wealth, social aggrandizement and political relevance.
“It should be noted by all concerned authorities, organizations and individuals that these individuals do not represent Ndigbo nor are they fighting for Ndigbo.”
He, therefore, sought appropriate measures to bring both the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice and rid the Southeast of the nuisance they represent.