………Says it will not cede any land in Igbo Land for cattle rearing.
Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, the apex umbrella of the Igbo socio-cultural organisations has said there is no land for cattle rearing in the entire Igbo land.
Ohanaeze also insisted it would not be intimidated by members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to surrender its land for such business.
The President-General of the Ohanaeze, Chief John Nwodo, in a statement after their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Enugu on Thursday, stated that Ndigbo were “prepared and waiting for them” to execute the threat by forcefully occupying land belonging to Igbo persons.
The Miyetti Allah, through their leader Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, had allegedly threatened to unleash mayhem on the zone following the refusal of the governors to accommodate their members by approving land for cattle rearing.
Alhaji Siddiki had reportedly said that since the governors are claiming to be “stubborn” and refused to give them their land, “it will be taken by force and entire southeast will be raided and taken over by herdsmen.”
Chief Nwodo while cautioning Ndigbo to be vigilant and reactivate their local defence outfits in line with the threat said: “Await our next directives after consultation with our political and religious leaders, legislators, traditional rulers, town unions and affiliate organisations.”
Nwodo explained that the increasing killings, kidnapping and various forms of banditry were an indication of the collapse of national security.
He noted that several local and international mining companies had without license occupied parts of northern Nigeria and engaged in continuous and uninhibited illegal mining of Nigeria mineral resources, protected by local and foreign militia and carting away and selling valuable mineral resources belonging to the country.
He said that while nobody accounts for the proceeds generated from the illegal mining activities, oil deposits in the south are exploited and used for the benefit of the entire nation.
According to him, a Muslim militia group with all the features and characteristics of ISIS had invaded parts of Northern Nigeria, capturing district heads, stealing and forcing occupants to flee their homes and in some cases to neighbouring countries.
He stated that while the Miyetti Allah and militant herdsmen have continued to “kill, maim and destabilise Christian areas in Kaduna,” the southeast and Southwest parts of the country had continued to witness the kidnapping of people.
It alleged that locals in certain areas of the country now find it difficult to move around, following the dropping of arms and ammunition in some of the occupied areas.
“What is disturbing is that very few arrests, seizures of arms or prosecution have been made in all these instances by our national security forces.
“The impression is created that their activities have the encouragement, sanction or acquiescence of our national security forces. In the President’s home state, Katsina, the District head of Daura is now under captivity for 32 days,” he noted.
