MASSOB To Sue FG For Boko Haram Killings
Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has said it will sue the Federal Government for the killings of the Igbo by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
Already, MASSOB; the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndiigbo; and other Igbo groups in the North have begun the collation of data to ascertain the number of Igbo killed.
MASSOB said the data would be used in its planned legal action against the government.
Speaking to our correspondent in an interview, Director of Information, MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, also described the recent creation of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North by the Federal Government as an avenue to waste state funds and resources.
The MASSOB spokesman said the dialogue could only be successful if the international terrorist group, al-Qaeda, was involved as it had been reported to have links with Boko Haram.
He said, “We are working through the groups to know the actual number of Igbo that have lost their lives to Boko Haram. We are coming out with the number and the states in which they were killed. Very soon, we’ll sue the Nigerian government for the loss of our people to the Boko Haram onslaught.
“Boko Haram is flexing its muscle as it gets financial and military assistance from al-Qaeda based outside Nigeria. There’s no way they can agree with the amnesty without the consent of Al-Qaeda. And I don’t see al-Qaeda, as the mother terrorist group, supporting Boko Haram in accepting amnesty.”
While he called for the inclusion of Igbo representatives in the dialogue, he alleged that the Igbo were major victims of attacks by the sect.
Madu also described the planned amnesty as diversionary, alleging that most of the appointees were officials and beneficiaries of government. He said none of them could represent the interest of the sect.
He said, “I don’t see it working because the real people that are supposed to sit for Boko Haram are not involved – people that command their (Boko Haram’s) respect and that they honour. I don’t see the government as serious because there’s no sincerity in what it is doing.
“The whole exercise is about wasting money. It is another avenue to enrich those people (appointees) by the Federal Government. So, the amnesty issue is not workable. If the government is sincere with the amnesty, it should involve the victims of Boko Haram onslaught.”
However, the apex-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndiigbo, in a separate interview, said it agreed with the composition of the committee.
The Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze, Mr. Osita Oganah, said Nigerians should ignore “the wrong procedure that might have been used” but that people should look at the overall benefit it holds for the entire country.
He said, “Ohanaeze believes that President Goodluck Jonathan should be given all the support to ensure that peace, law and order are restored in Nigeria. Anybody that has the opportunity to serve in that committee should take it as a call to national duty.
“Whoever has an opportunity to contribute to the restoration of peace and order should support it. And we — Igbo particularly support it because we have economic stake in Nigeria. We have Igbo around the world with the largest investment; an Igbo man is at home anywhere in Nigeria.”
Source: Legit.ng
