Some concerned elders of South East extraction have risen in condemnation of last Sunday’s gruesome killing of an Army officer, Major Churchill Orji, at the Azia area in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The group insisted that the majority of Igbos are not known for such evil acts but rather are peaceful, hard-working and accommodating.

Orji, who hailed from Nneogidi village, Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, was said to be a gallant Army officer.

Operating under the auspices of the Conference of Igbo Elders for Peace and Development (CIEPD), the patriots tasked security and law enforcement operatives to launch a manhunt for the killers of Orji, as well as ensure the restoration of peace across the South East zone of the country.

In a statement jointly signed, Thursday, by its National President, Mazi (Dr) Festus Edochie, and National Secretary, Barr. (Mrs) Esther Amadi, the CIEPD warned against attempts to stereotype Igbos, noting that criminals existed amongst all tribes.

The elders suspected the possibility that the criminal elements killing and maiming innocent Igbo sons and daughters, may have been brought from outside the South East region, ostensibly to destabilize the region, as well as elicit hate among Nigerians.

“We fear that these killings are being carried out by evil men imported from outside Igbo land, for the actualisation of a sinister agenda against the South East geo-political entity.

“We have it on good authority, that opposition politicians and other haters of Ndigbo plan to explore the criminal acts perpetrated against our people, to discredit the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, whose rising popularity across the divides, has continued to give them sleepless nights”, the statement read in part.

The concerned elders have, however, vowed to resist attempts to profile the Igbo nation using the killings as a launchpad to achieving their wicked plans.

According to them, no tribe in the country can lay claim to “sainthood”, as criminals, they argued, are found everywhere.

The statement reads: “We are deeply saddened by the news of the killing of one of our gallant military officers, Major Churchill Orji, by evil men on Sunday, August 21, 2022, somewhere around Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“We condemn this killing and others that had occurred in parts of the South East and enjoin security operatives to track and arrest all perpetrators of these heinous acts.

“As concerned Igbo elders, we wish to state that no one has a right to take another person’s life, under whatever guise, as God alone is the creator of human beings, and He alone can give and take lives.

“In the face of this, however, we are aware of sinister motives to link our people with the killings, in a bid to give the dog a bad name and hang it.

“We will also like to inform the general public that available intelligence points to the fact that most of the perpetrators of these dastardly acts, were brought into our dear region, to instigate destabilisation, as well as paint us in bad light among other ethnic nationalities.

“The principal target of this grand plot, according to our findings, is our illustrious son and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi.

“The ultimate plan is to discredit his candidacy, weaken his chances at next year’s presidential poll, and scuttle the realisation of a new Nigeria where fairness and Justice amongst others will reign.

“We wonder why some people are quick to localise the killings in South East, while labelling other criminal elements in other parts of the nation, as ‘terrorists’, ‘bandits’ and the like.

“We refuse the profiling of Igbos by our enemies, and restate the fact that Ndigbo is not only progressive in nature, but also promoters of peaceful coexistence, unity, and love for neighbours.

“May we conclude by appealing to our brothers and sisters from outside the South East, to avoid the politicisation of the killings in Igbo land, as that will not serve the cause of a united and prosperous Nigeria, which has remained our cardinal objective”. (Daily Independent)

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