Leading pro-Democracy group in Nigeria, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has challenged Governors of the South East to immediately de-proscribe the Indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as the fastest path to restoration of peace and creation of the enabling environment for constructive and law-based dialogues.

HURIWA said on Sunday that the South East Governors were the persons who urged the then President Muhammadu Buhari on September 15, 2017, to proscribe the then hitherto unarmed IPOB “headed by the illegally detained Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”.

HURIWA recalled historically that the beginning of the insurgency in the South East was when, on September 15, 2017, the Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, affirmed publicly that the Forum decided to proscribe the activities of IPOB to stop the rising tension in the zone.

HURIWA, which then faulted “the irrational decision of the South East Governors”, has again asked the new set of Governors who met few days back in Enugu on the insecurity and instability in the South East caused by the illegal enforcement by armed hoodlums loyal to Simon Ekpa based in Finland. It has asked the Governors “to undo the collective harm their predecessors unleashed on the South East by their ill-advised proscription of IPOB, by immediately de-proscribing IPOB to de-escalate violence in Igboland and to pressure President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu.”

HURIWA believes that “since the Governors rushed to proscribe IPOB but has maintained undignified silence about the existence of a private Army led by Asari Dokubo who has confirmed that his armed gangs were operating in the South East, these Governors should immediately de-proscribe IPOB, demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu and compel President Tinubu to consult with the government of Finland to repatriate Simon Ekpa, the person instigating killings now in the South East under the guise of working for Nnamdi Kanu who has debunked the claims of Ekpa severally and dissociated IPOB from the violent sit-at-home orders he issues from his heavily air-conditioned and tastefully furnished European home in Finland.”

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