By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday clarified that it did not ban cow meat consumption in the South-East, but cows that were destroying farms and those reared by “those raping mothers, wives and sisters in the farms, as well as cows that can bring Fulani terrorists in the zone.”

Reacting to a call by a Fulani group for the boycott of all Igbo products in the North in retaliation for the proposed ban on cow meat in the South-East with effect from April 2022, the group said the threat “confirms the Northern agenda”.

A statement signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful partly said: “This threat by these misguided Northern groups called themselves Northern coalition group has further confirmed the belief that the atrocities of Fulani rapists herdsmen in Biafra and other parts of Nigeria are a common agenda of the North particularly the Fulani and their terrorists disguised as herdsmen and cattle rearers in all parts of Nigeria and Biafra.

“How come these hypocrites never threatened Fulani herdsmen as they invade communities and kill farmers in Biafra land without any provocation? Now that we have decided to boycott and ban cow meat and instruct our people not to eat beef, Fulani threatened us with war because they think we are vulnerable and weak to kill at random we are doing this so that we can have peace in our communities, the real sponsors of the on-going genocide and numerous deaths in our land have surfaced.

“However, we waiting for Fulani terrorists to carry out their threat against Igbo traders and business interests in the North come April when the ban will take effect. They should remember and understand that the era of intimidation of Igbo people in Nigeria has gone. Nobody has the monopoly of anything anymore against our people if they do they will regret their actions because days has gone for that rubbish.

“Besides the genocidal attacks by herdsmen against innocent communities in Biafra land will soon be gone, as the cows they bring to us are defiled and we won’t allow it again here in Biafraland. Evidence abound of viral videos where these animalistic elements have illicit and abominable sex with cows. Such is a taboo and an abomination in our land and remained sacrilege in our culture and traditions. Our God abhors it and our land does not tolerate such evil. Never again shall we allow Biafra land to become a dumping ground for defiled cows.

“The Northern coalition should have first questioned Fulani herdsmen on why they have sex with cows, film such abominable act by themselves and post the video to the world. What is the reason for such beastly behavior? Who do they want to hypnotise?

“Why is it that the Northern coalition never cautioned their people to stop sleeping with cows and sell the defiled animals for people to eat?

“The baseless claim by Northern coalition group and Arewa youth groups that IPOB has declared war against the North cannot fly because they started it by destroying hotels belonging to Igbo people in the North while it does not belong to the Fulani only. IPOB is wise and knowledgeable enough to know what it means to declare war. We are, and remain a peaceful movement.”

While saying that it is only trying to safeguard Biafra land from further attacks and pollution by Fulani herdsmen, it urged people not to misconstrue its honest action.

IPOB added: “Since the federal government and the compromised security agencies have failed to protect our communities against incessant attacks by Fulani herdsmen using their cows as excuse, we want to severe everything about cows so we can have our peace. We must not eat cow meat again that comes Fulani people. Let them export their cow meat to other countries in West Africa and other African countries.

“The Sharia Police (Hishba), destroyed and keeps destroying many businesses in the North especially alcohol and hotels majority of which are owned by Igbo business men, and the hell has never been let loose in retaliation and these heartless beast in human forms are still collecting VAT from alcohol and hotels Nigeria government did not say anything about that.

“What is more than a declaration of war by the Fulani than that? Has the federal government or any Northern State Government at any time said anything against this barbarity? How can Northern coalition maintain criminal silence over such atrocity but cry foul and threaten Armageddon over simple ban on defiled animals that have been the for unprovoked attacks and wanton destruction of lives and property of innocent Biafrans by Fulani herdsmen.”

IPOB urged people of the southeast to be prepared for what is to come, saying that nobody should be taken unawares.

The group further expressed its readiness to enforce the ban on cow meat, insisting that there are other alternatives to animal protein.

While encouraging people of the southeast to go into poultry farm, goat rearing and fish production, it warned that nobody should violate this ban when it takes effect in April, saying that doing so will amount to testing the will of the people.

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