Ejiofor Condemns Sheikh Gumi’s Proposal To Arm Igbo Youths Against IPOB As Divisive, Inflammatory
He added that his actions have contributed to the region’s dire state of insecurity.
Ifeanyi Ejiofor (KSC), counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has described the recent proposal of a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, asking the Nigerian government to arm Igbo youths to counter IPOB as malicious, misguided, divisive and inflammatory.
He said Gumi’s outburst was driven by questionable obsession with monetary benefits, which he described as playing a significant role in exacerbating terrorism and banditry across Northern Nigeria.
He added that his actions have contributed to the region’s dire state of insecurity.
Ejiofor stated this in a statement made available to journalist in Abuja on Monday.
He said Gumi has no doubt gained notoriety for his defence of individuals and groups waging violent campaigns against Nigeria, adding that despite his open affiliations with such elements, he enjoys some level of immunity.
Ejiofor described that as troubling.
Ejiofor said, “My attention has been drawn to an absurd statement by the prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, widely reported across online and print media. In his latest opinion, Sheikh Gumi proposed that the government should arm Igbo youths to counter IPOB, a suggestion that is both divisive and inflammatory.
“Sheikh Gumi is a complicity in Northern insecurity. He is a defender of enemies of the same. His accomplices are currently under investigation and that is why he is offering misguided advice on arming the Southeast region.
“One of Gumi’s emissaries is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for his role in promoting banditry. It is equally difficult to ignore the likelihood that Gumi covertly enables such activities while acting as their chief negotiator.
“Gumi’s inability to address the rampant terrorism and insecurity in his region makes his advice to arm youths in the South East, not only hypocritical but also dangerous.
“It is noteworthy that IPOB’s stance against criminals is very obvious, having repeatedly distanced itself from these criminal elements and, in its recent press release, even offered to collaborate with local security outfits to eliminate such threats.”
According to Ejiofor, Gumi has a “hidden agenda with his ultimate goal appearing to be the destabilisation of Igbo land, creating a scenario where brothers turn against brothers, resulting in needless bloodshed and destruction”.
He noted that despite the “political conspiracies against Ndigbo as the most marginalised ethnic group in Nigeria, Ndigbo have resolved to take their destiny into our own hands by joining hands together to fight the real intruders who wreak havoc in Igbo land”.
