By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the kidnap of an Igbo Catholic Priest, Rev Fr. Oliver Okpala, by suspected Fulani Bandits in Sokoto State.

IPOB, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of deliberately ignoring the ordeal of the Priest because he was an Igbo man.

The group wondered why CAN leadership would maintain absolute silence over the abduction of the Priest, but was quick to accuse IPOB of being responsible for the criminal state-sponsored murder of a Northern woman and her kids in Anambra State.

The statement reads: “That is why the Igbo Christians ought, as a matter of urgency, form their own Christian Association as matters affecting their right to life in Nigeria are consistently being neglected.

“This Reverend was ordained as a Catholic Priest last year and was transferred to Sokoto State where he was serving as a parish priest.

“He is one of the Catholic Priest kidnapped by Fulani bandits that nobody is talking about, no verifiable effort nor common condemnation from CAN, no reportage from BBC and other media because Igbos are the victims of Nigeria, is the priest an IPOB member?

“Why would a Catholic Priest suffer deliberate neglect and discrimination due to his Igbo race and the Catholic as a body is mute?

“Has he been regarded of no political advantage to CAN, political class and the media that condemnation of afflictions of an Igbo man in Nigeria is either celebrated, turned against same or ignored as if they deserve it?

“It was not surprising that Yemi Osibanjo was very quick to condemn the killing of a Northern woman and her four kids which occurred in Anambra State because he wants Northerners to support his presidential ambition. And he, in his usual character, maintains total silence whenever there occurred tragedies such as slaughtering of Biafrans in the Fulani North and destruction of Biafra businesses by Fulani religious extremist and Jihadist Muslims.

“IPOB do not care if acclaimed pastor, Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, would keep Nigeria one yet, he will follow the footsteps of his master, President Muhammadu Buhari who thinks that Igbos (5 per cent, dot in a circle) do not deserve protection nor to live.”

IPOB noted that Igbo were the first to raise the alarm, tweet and publicly condemned the extra-judicial killing of a Christian school girl by her fellow students of Shehu Shagari College of Education for an alleged blasphemy of Prophet Muhammed in student's whatsaap forum by Islamic extremists of the school in Sokoto state.

IPOB urged Igbo politicians, Bishops, Pastors and Reverend Fathers, including Christians from Biafra land, to wake up, have a rethink "count cost" and evaluate the most urgent and better one between failed-state politics and fight for their freedom.

It added that everlasting freedom of the people of the Southeast would be preferred than managing in the contraption called Nigeria.

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