Mass graves: Igbos write Buhari

– The group, Igbo Intelligentsia Forum wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari

– The group said the Igbo are not violent people and do not engage in ethnic racism 

– The group in the letter asked the president to sanction the national security adviser and the Department of State Services over the allegation of killing of Hausa-Fulani men by the Indigenous People of Biafra

A group, the Igbo Intelligentsia Forum has written an open letter to the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari on the alleged mass graves discovered by the Department of State Services (DSS).

In the letter signed by Joe Ikunna and Katch Onunuju, the group’s coordinator and secretary committee on publicity, the group said it is concerned by the DSS claims of mass graves in Abia state.

“We are alarmed by these allegations as we do not condone violence of any sort by or against any person or group of persons. Our history as Igbo shows that we have lived peacefully with people of different ethnicities for generations,” the letter said.

It also said that an on spot assessment of Abia and Imo state government shows that the statement by the DSS is a shameful propaganda.

READ ALSO: Call for DSS DG’s sack aimed at shielding IPOB members

The DSS in the past week said it discovered 55 mass graves in Isuikwuato local government area of Abia state.

In its claim, the DSS said that five out of the 55 bodies recovered from the shallow graves a Hausa-Fulanis killed by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

But the Igbo group in their letter said that the Abia and Imo states government were able to find out that the five bodies found in a shallow grave in Abia  state were kidnap victims and has no ethnic coloration.

“Your Excellency will recall that an on the spot assessment by the governments of Abia and Imo states exposed the shameful propaganda of the DSS as it became obvious that the five bodies found in a shallow grave in a bush in Uturu town were actually kidnap victims and that the unfortunate incident has no ethnic coloration whatsoever,” it said.

The group condemned the DSS inability to show evidence of alleged massacre and exact picture of location of the mass grave, details of forensics, if any, conducted on the bodies found to determine cause of death or true identities.

“There was no mention of a coroner’s inquest on the Killings, there was no mention of any investigation by the police who are constitutionally obliged to investigate and prosecute as appropriate, there was no mention of arrest of any suspects,” it added.

It also said no basic rudiments of criminal investigation was carried out by the DSS on the discovered graves to enable it claim that the victims were Hausa-Fulanis killed by members of the IPOB.

READ ALSO: Ohaneze reacts to alleged killing of Fulani by IPOB

The group also condemned the DSS of lack of action towards the massacre committed in different locations like the crisis between the Agatu land owners and the Fulani herdsmen.

“We do not know of any arrests by the DSS or prosecution by the authorities of these notorious insurgents, now ranked as the 4th most deadly terrorist organization in the world. It is common knowledge that the Fulani Herdsmen bear arms especially the infamous AK47 assault rifles. They move about freely in a country that does not permit the bearing of such arms by private citizens,” the group said.

The group reiterated that Igbo are loving and peaceful people and do not have history of violence targeted against other ethnic nationalities, religion or culture.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have repeatedly stated that they do not bear arms and that their agitations for self-determination is based on their conscientious objection to membership of the Nigerian State,” it said.

The group further called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sanction the national security adviser and the DSS for the mass graves report, set up a judicial commission of inquiry to determine the truth of the statement by the DSS and investigate the wide spread herdsmen clashes in various communities in Nigeria.

It also urged the president to direct the DSS to publish an apology to the Igbo for the attack targeted at them and disarm all unauthorized group bearing arms in the country.

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