Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has expressed concern over claims by truck drivers that their members were being attacked in various parts of the South-East.
The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, had earlier in the week expressed concern over the alleged attacks on drivers of trucks conveying goods from the North to the South-East by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
According to the ACF, the killing of the drivers and the destruction of their vehicles constituted a serious threat to national security that could lead to the breakdown of law and order and anarchy.
The organisation also condemned what it called the silence of Igbo leaders.
However, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike said the allegations were surprising considering the peaceful disposition of the Igbos.
Okwu said despite provocations, Ndigbo have remained peaceful and accommodating, stressing that they had never been hostile to strangers.
According to him, “as we speak, trucks from the different parts of the North are offloading food items in several markets across the Igbo land.
“It should also be noted that a lot of these food items belong to Igbo businessmen and women. It is, therefore, bizarre for anyone to conclude that they have suddenly become subject of attacks.
“We want to make it abundantly clear that Northerners are free to do their genuine businesses in Igbo land without any form of fear.
“We want to restate that Ndigbo are known for hospitality to the highest level and this has not changed; we have a sacred duty to protect strangers in our land; therefore those sowing seeds of discord should desist from such habit.”
While noting that any attack on a truck driver should be seen as an offshoot of the same wave of criminality and banditry across the country, Okwu said making such development look like an organised attack by the people of the South-East against the North was meant to trigger and attack on Igbos doing their legitimate businesses in the North.
“Those trying to pull this trigger should desist from it; we are at peace with all the Northerners coming in and doing their legitimate businesses in Igbo land.
“While we sympathize with any truck driver and business owners who may have fallen victim to such banditry and criminality, the ACF and other groups should not blow it out of proportion, thereby creating unnecessary tension in the country.
“The security agencies should fish out anyone involved in launching any form of attack on innocent Nigerians, regardless of where they come from.”