By Chidi Nkwopara, OWERRI.
An air of disbelief and shock enveloped parts of Imo State Thursday, following the court judgment that confirmed Federal Government’s position that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is a terrorist group.
People were seen in groups, discussing the development in hushed tones, as soon as the outcome of the judgment filtered into Owerri municipality.
Efforts made to get some government officials to speak on the issue failed, as they reasoned that “it is a very delicate national issue”. However, some people who claimed to be IPOB loyalists said they were not surprised by the judgment of the court. “What did you expect from the court controlled by the same government that called us a terrorist group? It is sheer irony that those who don’t carry firearms and don’t believe in wasting precious human lives are branded terrorists.
This is Nigeria for you”, Ikechukwu Okam said.
According to Ikechukwu, “everything about Ndigbo must be treated like our views and aspirations don’t count”.
In her own opinion, Florence, a mother of three queried why the rampaging herdsmen that have killed several people, are still treated with kid gloves, while IPOB loyalists are branded terrorists.
“Go and tell government that they can kill the flesh but definitely not the spirit. Many souls may still be killed by the security agencies, but generations after us will continue from where we stopped”, Florence said.
She recalled that only recently, a court of corresponding jurisdiction, ruled that IPOB was not a terrorist group and wondered what the judge saw differently.
