Governors from the South East geo-political zone of the country, on Sunday night, with a warning to Igbo people, especially owners of businesses to beware of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
The governors also claimed that the IPOB are planning to instigate another civil war in the country.
The governor said this after a meeting with their Rivers counterparts, Nyesom Wike.
The governors were led to the meeting, which held in Government House, Port Harcourt by the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum David Umahi of Ebonyi State.
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, led other prominent members of the socio-cultural group to the meeting convened following the bloodletting allegedly committed by IPOB members under the guise of #EndSARS protests.
Governor Umahi warned the Igbo to be wary of IPOB, saying the outlawed group was trying to instigate another civil war.
He said they were in Rivers State to ascertain the veracity of the reports circulating in the social media over alleged killing of Igbo people in the state.
He, however, said they found out the the claims the Igbo were being killed in Rivers were false.
The Ebonyi State governor also said after listening to Governor Wike’s narration of the atrocious activities of IPOB in Oyigbo that culminated in the imposition of curfew in the entire Local Government, it became imperative for the Igbo to distance themselves from IPOB.
Governor Umahi said he found it nauseating that IPOB could go to Benue and Rivers State to hoist its flag and claim the territories belong to the Igbo people.
He said Igbo leadership were opposed to the stance by IPOB.
Governor Umahi, who revealed that he had huge investment in Rivers, urged the Igbo living in Rivers State to respect constituted authority in the state and continue to live and do their businesses peacefully there.
On his part, Nwodo said the meeting reinforced the existing affinity between the Igbo and the people of Niger Delta.
He described Governor Wike as a ‘champion of restructuring of Nigeria’ and a man who loved justice.
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He explained the leadership of the Igbo could not remain aloof while some misguided few, who did not experience the brutal reality of the last civil war continue to fan the ember of disunity.
Chief Nwodo said he was elated to hear from Igbo leaders that under the leadership of Wike Igbo businesses had continued to thrive.
A former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, lauded the Igbo leaders for the peace initiative and decision to visit Governor Wike.
He stated that every governor desires peace to govern adding that Governor Wike was not an exception.
He stressed that Rivers residents endorsed every measure taken by Governor Wike to ensure lasting peace in the state.
