Factional Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, has announced that the people of the southeast will not participate in the proposed nationwide protests against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government. The protests, scheduled for August 1st-10th, 2024, are in response to the country’s severe economic hardship.
In a statement on Tuesday, Isiguzoro explained that the Igbos have been repeatedly used as scapegoats in previous riots, resulting in significant losses of lives and properties. He emphasized that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is of greater importance to the southeast than joining the protests.
The statement reads in part: “Drawing from the painful history of past riots and protests in Nigeria, such as the 17th April 1978 ALI MUST GO Protests, the 24th May 1989 ANTI-SAP RIOTS, the 1993 June 12 protests, the 2nd-14th January 2012 OCCUPY NIGERIA protests, and the 20th October 2020 END SARS protests, which resulted in immense losses of Igbo lives and properties, OHANAEZE NDIGBO highlights the fact that Igbos have often been used as sacrificial lambs in the course of these protests.”
To protect the lives and properties of Igbos, OHANAEZE NDIGBO has decided to direct Igbos at home and abroad to refrain from participating in the upcoming protests for several reasons:
1. The existing security challenges in the Southeast make any form of protest or riot imprudent. Protests could worsen the already precarious security situation in the region. Extremists and criminals may exploit such events to incite violence, loot properties, and create chaos.
2. To avoid Igbos being used as sacrificial lambs in the upcoming nationwide protests, OHANAEZE NDIGBO advises Igbo residents in the 19 Northern States and Southwest to boycott the protests for their own safety and security. Staying away from the protests is crucial for their well-being.