From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed displeasure over the recent proposal by prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi to arm Igbo youths as a counterforce to IPOB.
Ejiofor described the suggestion as malicious, misguided, divisive, and inflammatory.
In a statement yesterday, Ejiofor accused Gumi of being complicit in worsening insecurity in Northern Nigeria, alleging that the cleric has consistently defended elements responsible for terrorism and banditry.
“Gumi’s proposal is both divisive and dangerous,” Ejiofor remarked. “His questionable obsession with monetary benefits has led him to fuel insecurity in the North while acting as a defender and negotiator for criminal elements.”
Ejiofor criticised Gumi’s perceived immunity from prosecution despite his affiliations with those undermining national security. He pointed out that one of Gumi’s emissaries is currently in custody under investigation for promoting banditry.
“Gumi’s inability to address the rampant terrorism in his own region makes his advice to arm youths in the Southeast hypocritical and reckless,” Ejiofor noted.
He further clarified that IPOB has consistently distanced itself from criminal activities in the region, emphasising that the violence in the Southeast is perpetrated by opportunistic criminals masquerading as freedom fighters.
“Gumi’s suggestion would only serve to create division among the Igbo people, plunging the region into chaos,” Ejiofor warned. “IPOB remains committed to collaborating with local security outfits to eliminate criminal threats.”
The lawyer accused Gumi of harbouring a hidden agenda aimed at destabilising Igbo land and fostering internal conflict.
“The Igbo people have learned from painful experiences and will not fall for such manipulative tactics,” Ejiofor stated. “Our message to Gumi is clear—his divisive mission is dead on arrival.”
He called for unity among the Igbo to resist external threats and reaffirmed the community’s resolve to chart its path forward despite political conspiracies and marginalisation.
Ejiofor also made it clear that the criminal activities in the Southeast are not the work of IPOB but rather opportunistic criminals masquerading as freedom fighters. He said Sheikh Gumi’s suggestion would only serve to pit the Igbo people against one another, plunging the region into chaos.
“The ultimate goal of Sheikh Gumi appears to be the destabilisation of Igbo land, creating a scenario where brothers turn against brothers, resulting in needless bloodshed and destruction.”
“Despite the political conspiracies against the Igbo, the most marginalised ethnic group in Nigeria, we have resolved to take our destiny into our own hands. Together, we will fight the real intruders who wreak havoc in our land.”
“Let it be clear that Sheikh Gumi’s divisive mission is dead on arrival. The Igbo people have learned their lessons through hard and painful experiences and will not fall for such manipulative tactics,” he stated.