Adamawa Igbo Paramount ruler condemns killing of Mother, children in Anambra
From Emmanuel Samuel, Yola
The Paramount Ruler of the Igbo people in Adamawa State, His Royal Highness Chief Godwin Emeka, Eze Ndigbo III, has condemned the killing of a woman and her four children in Anambra State by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), describing it as barbaric and ungodly.
Recall that a 32-year-old Harira Jibril and her four children, Fatima (9), Khadijah (7), Hadizà (5), and Zaituna (2), were murdered in cold blood recently supposedly by “unknown gunmen” under very painful circumstances.
While speaking with our correspondent in his Palace in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, Chief Godwin Emeka expressed shock and bewilderment over the inhuman act, saying that it does not only affect the people of Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State where the woman hails from, but also the entire gbo people nationwide.
Eze Ndigbo III sympathized with the bereaved family and the entire people of Adamawa State over what he called the “beastly shedding of the blood of innocent souls”.
“I was utterly shocked and paralyzed when I heard the sad news. It is a condemnable and intolerable act because we are supposed to be tolerant and friendly to other people living in our community. For my several years of stay in Adamawa State, the people here have been very hospitable to me and all my Igbo indigenes,” Chief Eze said.
The Igbo chief, said he grew up and have children living in the North, it is not in the character of the Igbo people, who are business-inclined and who travelled a lot, to kill or shed the blood of a visitor or anyone at all even as he stated that killing a pregnant woman is a taboo and unacceptable in Igbo land.
“On behalf of all the Igbo people and leaders living in the North, I wish to use this opportunity to commiserate with His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Urmaru Fintiri, His Royal Highness, the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Alhaji Barkindo Musdapha, the Gangwar. I commiserate with Ganye, Alhaji Urmaru Sanda, and the entire people of Adamawa State over the sad and unfortunate incident”.
The Igbo Paramount Ruler also frowned at the rate of insecurity that has enveloped the country from North to South and East to West, and called on leaders of the country to use their powers to arrest the unfortunate situation.
He lamented the attack and killing on the Kaduna-Abuja train, reassuring Nigerians that as custodians of tradition of the Nigerian people, they would not sleep with their both eyes closed but they would work hard to ensure that there was peaceful coexistence across the country.
Chief Eze who said there was a long standing relationship between the North and South-East Nigeria, wonder why a handful of disgruntled people in the country would just wake up one day and continuously devise ways of jeopardize such a warm and friendly relationship built over the years.
While praying God to receive the souls of the fallen innocent mother and her children, Chief Eze revealed that IPOB members and so-called unknown gunmen were also killing Igbo people in the South-East. A situation he said may compromise peace nationwide if not properly handled.
Corroborating the Eze Ndigbo III, Patron of the Igbo community and Igbo Cultural Association in Adamawa State, Chief Ofor Eze Nwachuku, described the killing of Harira Jibril and her four children as heartless and vicious.
“The Igbo culture forbids the shedding of human blood. It is not in our character, so, Even the cruelest person on earth cannot kill a poor pregnant woman and her four innocent children.
“We know that Igbos are also being killed in the North but that is not just a reason to kill innocent people in the name of retaliation. Let the leaders in the South-East wake up and fish out the perpetrators of this heinous act”, Chief Ofor said.
Chief Ofor who stressed that he had lived in the North for over 35 years without any acrimony between him and his Northern hosts, maintained that IPOB or unknown gunmen are not sprit but human beings living in the community and should not be allowed to pit the North against the South or Muslims against Christians who are determined to work together.
In his comment, Chief John Oguneh, popularly known as Onuwo and Minister of the Igbo people in Adamawa State, also registered his dismay over the brutal killing of the family of Jibril pointing out to at no religion permit for e killing of a fellow human being.
“The Bible and the Qur’an do not tolerate the shedding of human blood. whatever the reason may be. I feel so bad that a vibrant family should be wiped out like chicken. It is inhuman and unacceptable.
“We should let peace reign in Nigeria. Security Agencies and the Government are doing their best, but they should do more to restore peace across the entire nation”. He added.
