•Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Igbo apex group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday warned New York Times, a reputable media organisation, not to allow itself to be manipulated into disseminating unsubstantiated and potentially inflammatory reports, saying that such reports can have devastating consequences and unrest within Nigeria.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo was reacting to a publication by New York Times that Igbos were instrumental in providing information to the USA that led to the bombing against ISIS elements in Sokoto, noting that such reports, like the one in question, can have devastating consequences, fostering ethnic division and unrest within Nigeria, reports The Guardian.
In a statement in Abakaliki, the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, maintained that the Igbo are not, nor have they ever been, involved in any capacity as intelligence providers or participants in the United States’ efforts against terrorist networks, adding that such a report can incite tribal animosity and suspicion against the Igbo population, particularly those residing in Northern Nigeria.
He made it clear that the Igbo are neither the originators nor the primary proponents of the narrative of Christian persecution in Nigeria, despite the undeniable presence of Igbo casualties in such incidents.
He demanded an unreserved apology for the publication of this deliberately misleading and potentially dangerous article and called for the article itself to be retracted.
While commending the ongoing partnership and collaboration between US President Donald Trump and the Federal Government in combating terrorism, he emphatically disavowed any implication that Igbo individuals were instrumental in providing information that led to the bombing, rejecting attempts to unfairly implicate the Igbo in these endeavours.
Isiguzoro further stated that “our concerns are deeply rooted in historical precedent and in the recent New York Times article, which attempts to portray an Igbo individual, purportedly a ‘screwdriver seller’ from Onitsha, as a key source of intelligence for the US airstrikes.
This portrayal mirrors the insidious propaganda campaign that fuelled ethnic tensions leading up to the tragic events of 1966.
“We emphatically disavow any implication that Igbo individuals were instrumental in providing information that led to the bombing.
“While we commend the ongoing partnership and collaboration between US and Nigeria in combating terrorism, we must categorically reject attempts to unfairly implicate the Igbo in these endeavours”.
“Our concerns are deeply rooted in historical precedent.
“The recent New York Times article, which attempts to portray an Igbo individual, purportedly a ‘screwdriver seller’ from Onitsha, as a key source of intelligence for the US airstrikes, mirrors the insidious propaganda campaign that fueled ethnic tensions leading up to the tragic events of 1966.
“The article’s claim that this individual influenced President Trump’s actions is not only far-fetched but also demonstrably intended to incite tribal animosity and suspicion towards the Igbo population, particularly those residing in Northern Nigeria”.
“The ludicrous portrayal of an Onitsha-based trader, acting as a crucial intelligence asset, is patently absurd and, frankly, insulting. It is a clear attempt to resurrect the age-old tactic of scapegoating the Igbo for the problems of Nigeria.
“To set the record straight, Igbo are not the originators or primary proponents of the narrative of Christian persecution in Nigeria, despite the undeniable presence of Igbo casualties in such incidents.
“Numerous organisations and religious groups, encompassing both non-Igbo entities in the Northern region and diaspora-based Christian and civil rights advocates, have been instrumental in raising awareness of Christian persecution.
“Why, we must ask, has The New York Times singled out an Igbo individual in this context? What is their true motivation? Are US lobbyists involved in this orchestrated campaign?
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not opposed to the US-Trump administration’s collaboration with Nigeria against terrorist groups, nor do we object to the efforts of US lobbyists to improve Nigeria’s international image.
“However, we are steadfastly opposed to any attempt to revive the insidious anti-Igbo campaigns that have historically been used to sow discord and instability.
“The haunting memories of the 1966 pogrom against the Igbo remain etched in our collective consciousness.
“We are acutely aware of the detrimental role played by certain international media organisations, which wrongly portrayed the January 15, 1966, coup as an ‘Igbo Coup’, a narrative that contributed to the subsequent July 1966 counter-coup and the ensuing genocide.
“The New York Times article, therefore, follows a similar dangerous path.
“Since 1966, the Igbo have repeatedly been unfairly blamed for Nigeria’s woes. Never again shall any international media organisation be allowed to use the Igbo as scapegoats.
“In light of these undeniable facts, Ohanaeze Ndigbo demands that New York Times issues an immediate and unreserved apology for publishing this deliberately misleading and potentially dangerous article, and that the article be retracted.
“We hold the New York Times accountable for any escalation of tensions that this article may incite, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
“Furthermore, we implore all Igbo civil rights organisations to refrain from commenting on security matters pertaining to the US-Nigeria collaboration against ISIS and other terrorist groups in Nigeria, so that our concerns are not twisted out of proportion or used to justify the article”, the organisation said.
