Southeast leaders on Saturday have warned the prime agitators for Biafra Republic to desist from causing problems in Nigeria.
The Igbo leaders disowned the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other pro-Biafra groups.
The Igbo leaders at the meeting were past governors, ministers, National Assembly members, other members of the political class, religious leaders and traditional rulers from the zone.
Reading from a communique at the end of the meeting held in Enugu, Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, said the meeting set up a committee to engage the agitators to stop and allow the elders of the Southeast to address their fears.
Umahi, who is also the chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, also assured the non-Igbo living in the Southeast of their security and protection.
The meeting mandated Southeast governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to liaise with Northerners and other Nigerians living in the Southeast to come out openly to assure their people and Nigerians that they are safe and well protected while living in the area.
Umahi said the meeting was a follow up to the one between a presidential delegation led by Defence Minister Bashir Magashi and Igbo leaders on June 11, 2021, on the security challenges confronting the region in particular and Nigeria in general.
The communiqué reads in part: “We the Southeast leaders condemn in totality the violent secessionist agitations in the Southeast. We firmly proclaim that we do not support them. They do not speak for Southeast.
“The impression that Southeast leaders are silent over the agitations of our youths for secession is not correct.
“Southeast governors, Ohanaeze Ndigbo president and our National Assembly members, our ministers and our leadership from Southeast, notable leaders from Southeast had come out publicly many times in the past to speak against such agitations.
“In order not to mismanage the unfortunate situation we found ourselves, Southeast leaders have set up a committee to engage such youths to stop and allow the elders of Southeast to address their fears.
“Meeting directed our governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to liaise with indigenes from Northern part of Nigeria and other indigenes of other regions that are living in the Southeast to come out openly to assure their people and Nigerians that they are very safe and well protected while living in the Southeast.
“The meeting also set up a committee under Ohanaeze to articulate and address all burning issues to further meet amongst ourselves and further meet with the presidential team.
“We the Igbo reaffirm commitment to one united Nigeria under the platform of justice, equality of rights, fairness, love and respect for one another.”
”The communiqué also noted the threats by some groups in some other regions against the people of Southeast even as the leaders firmly promised to protect everyone either from the Southeast or anywhere living in the Southeast.
“We plead with the leaders of other regions to please note the threats against our people and protect them.
“We condemn the killing of security agents, burning of security infrastructure and killing of civilians in Southeast and even other regions. We request the security agencies to discharge their duties within the rules of engagement under the rule of law.”
The communiqué endorsed the Southeast joint security outfit, Ebube Agu, and asked all the personnel of Ebube Agu to work with security agencies and respect the rights and privileges of all those living in the Southeast and her visitors.
The communiqué also requested the National Assembly members from the Southeast to support state police creation in the ongoing Constitutional amendment.
