The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, northern leaders, youths and Muslim clerics have condemned the recent killing of northern traders in Abia State and sued for peaceful coexistence in the spirit of one Nigeria.
The groups in a meeting stressed the need to take urgent steps towards ensuring the maintenance of peace and cordial relationship among each other, following recent killings in Abia State.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo commiserated with the northern leadership over the death of northern traders in Abia and sympathised with all the bereaved families and owners of the cows slaughtered.
The Secretary-General of the Igbo socio-cultural group, Mazi Okecukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement commiserated with leaders of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) over the killing of northerners in Abia.
According to the statement, “We commiserate with the northern leadership over the death of northerners in Abia and we sympathise with all the bereaved families and owners of the cows slaughtered. Igbos are devoted to providing succour to the families and people affected by what happened.”
The statement said preliminary investigations revealed that those who carried out these heinous conspiracies against humanity in Abia, the killers of northerners in Abia are not Igbos, saying that they migrated from neighbouring states and fled to their states after the attacks.
It commended the Northern Elders Forum, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum and the Coalition of Northern Groups for their quick intervention to forestall a possible breakdown of law and order.
The statement noted that the Abia State government has shown maturity in handling the matter and advised that full compensation will be paid to the bereaved families and people whose businesses were destroyed in Abia.
It stated that it would be the balm to soothe the pains and trauma of those who lost their beloved ones.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo said they would continue to work with the northern leadership to ensure that the interests of the north and eastern Nigeria are protected, assuring that nobody will stop the northerners from doing their cattle businesses in the South as it is by the laws of the land.
The statement dismissed IPOB’s threat to ban cattle business in the east, pointing out that Igbos are doing business in the north unmolested and as such, nobody will harass those doing business in the east or any part of the country.