IGBO leaders, who were attacked by youths suspected to be members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and other pro-Biafra agitation groups in a meeting in Enugu on Tuesday have reeled out gory tales of how they nearly lost their lives during the commotion.
Secretary of Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, and former director-general of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi, said he nearly lost his life during fracas.
A group of youths suspected to be members of IPOB and other pro –Biafra groups disrupted the event which was meant to honour some notable Igbo, including the first republic president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi and late Chief Sam Mbakwe, among others.
Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB however, issued a statement yesterday, denying involvement in the attack.
Amucheazi told Vanguard on the telephone that, although his red cap, eye glasses and mobile telephone which were forcefully taken away from him were immediately returned, he was still in shock over the attack.
He said: “I was there to see Prof Nwabueze, as I didn’t even know about the awards or that anybody would be honoured. “Before much was said, they started shouting and started throwing sachet (pure) water at me.
They wanted to destroy my car. We were cautioning them to listen to the elders so that they would learn from them, but they refused to listen.
IPOB not applying right method– Maria Okwor
Also giving account of what happened, Deputy leader of the Eastern Consultative Assembly, ECA, Chief Mrs Maria Okwor said that the young members of the Indigenous People of Biafra were not applying the appropriate method pursuant of their agitation for a separatist country.
She said that IPOB and other Pro-Biafra groups should accept restructuring Nigeria for now, noting that if the country is restructured, it would be easier to realise the autonomous country as being agitated by the groups.
Okwor who was reacting to the disruption of ECA meeting in Enugu on Tuesday observed that the Dr Dozie Ikedife-led Biafra agitation group was going about the quest legally and asked the younger agitators to take it easy.
She however asked President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to voice of the angry Nigerians and devise a means of assuaging the monumental anger in the country.
“Nobody is happy, we are all dissatisfied. Look at the security hierarchy, there is no Igbo there. They said they have defeated Boko Haram but they are still there. I sympathise with these youths and their lives no longer mean anything to them.
Incident was unfortunate – Mbazulike Amaech
Reacting to the incident, First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi yesterday described as unfortunate, the disruption of the event of the Igbo leaders in Enugu, advising those who had any reason to protest against any perceived injustice meted out to them to always adopt peaceful means in fighting their cause.
“After my address, I was honoured before I left and there was no objection or murmur from the crowd. As I was going, I saw a lot of buses heading towards the venue.
It was in the Vanguard Newspaper that I read that there was disruption. “Our people should not forget what Zik did for the country.
With him as our leader, we confronted the colonial masters and chased them away and took over government. If not what we did, Nigeria would not have got her independence at the time she did,” he said.