IPOB demands Bulkachuwa’s arrest over alleged hate speech against Igbo
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of detained Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has condemned and called for arrest of the Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign Affairs, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, over what they termed hate speech against the Igbo race and Biafrans in general.
The group frowned on his statement that the South East is home to criminals, rebels and deserve to be eliminated, describing such utterance as inciting and reckless.
In a statement, yesterday, the IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said: “The attention of IPOB has been drawn to the hate speech by Bulkachuwa against Igbo race and Biafrans in general.
“What else could be more inciting than such a reckless utterance by a supposed Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bulkachuwa, to say that South East is home to criminals, rebels and deserve to be eliminated? The statement, which he made while featuring on a live programme of a national television, Channels TV, is a call for genocide and should not be swept under the carpet.”
Quoting Bulkachuwa, the statement said: “They’re just rebels, arsonists and criminals. So, what are we going to consider to even give them chance to say their wish and let Nigeria tremble and bow before them and say, ‘okay, we’ve granted you your wish.’
“Those insurgents in the South East are claiming they want their own country called Biafra, right? If that is the case, is it by killing people they’ll get their country?
“They’ve tried it before; do they want us to go back to the same route? I don’t think so. But if they do, if that’s what they choose, has Nigeria got any choice?
“Will we just allow them, bow and say, ‘we’ll grant you your wish?’ No. Nigerian government has to stand out, fight them and give them what they want.”
Continuing, the IPOB statement said: “We, therefore, want the international community to hold Bulkachuwa responsible for any genocidal action against the people of the South East of Nigeria.
“This wicked and unguarded utterance has further exposed the hypocrisy and double standard of Nigerian society. Were it to be an Igbo Senator that made similar utterances, by now he would have been a guest to the security agencies.
“Why will a supposed Senator of the federal republic call for death of a tribe and still be parading the streets free? The only reason he is still moving freely is because he is speaking the mind of the Fulani cabal holding Nigeria captive.”
