Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has expressed deep sadness over the gruesome murder of some Northerners in Uromi Edo State last week.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, Ohanaeze Ndigbo strongly denounced such a dastardly act in all ramifications and urged the law enforcement agencies to embark on a thorough investigation and manhunt, to enable them fish out the perpetrators of the unwarranted act.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, however, strongly deplored a situation making rounds in the social media whereby some prejudiced anti-Igbo elements, especially from the northern part of the country, are accusing Igbos in Edo State as the masterminds of the heinous massacre.
It stated that it is regrettable that often, “some wilfully disposed self-inflicted mischievous fellows would always prefer to lay accusing fingers on Ndigbo at the slightest provocation, even when all indices to the same point to the contrary.”
It wondered how Igbos could have had such an organised criminal group in far away Edo State, outside their land, to enhance the perpetration of such a monstrous bloodbath of that magnitude.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo therefore admonishes “those treacherous fellows who are baselessly accusing Ndigbo in Edo of the killings”, to desist from such combustible incitements, saying it is antithetical to national unity and social conviviality as a people.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo implored Igbo people all over Nigeria to be peaceful, go about their businesses with tranquility, and be law-abiding at all times.
It sympathised with the families of the deceased and prayed for the repose of their souls.
Meanwhile, the apex Igbo organisation has observed with dismay, the inability of the Senate to pass a motion seeking to name the Abuja National Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after Professor Humphrey Nwosu.
It recalled that Prof. Nwosu as Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) conducted the acclaimed freest, cheapest, and fairest Presidential Election in the history of Nigeria, in 1993, now from available records was won by Chief MKO Abiola.
It added that since Prof Nwosu’s death on the 20th of October 2024 in Virginia USA, the debate on his role in the Nigerian democracy has taken the front burner, with many Nigerians all over the world calling for a befitting posthumous national honor to be awarded to him.
“The height of this patriotic call was the motion moved by Senator Eyninnaya Abaribe on Wednesday 25th March 2025 and supported by the South East Senators and other good-willed Senators in the Red Chambers, to name the INEC headquarters after the late academic luminary, but regrettably was not passed by the August body,” the group said.
