Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-East zone, yesterday warned the Northern Elders Council (NEC) to expect tribal war if it makes good its threat to drag immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the alleged mass murder committed in Bama, Borno State, by the Nigerian Army in the course of its war against Boko Haram.

South-East CAN President, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, vowed during après conference in Enugu that any attempt by northern elders to get Ihejirka punished for rendering service to the nation would be resisted by CAN.

Chukwuma, who is Bishop of Enugu Diocese of the Anglican Communion, noted that nobody sued northern elders when Christians and Igbo traders were massacred in the North by Boko Haram terrorists.

Said the CAN chief: “We will not keep quiet for northern elders to sue Ihejirika to International Criminal Court (ICC). Northern elders should be cautioned or warned or else they are inviting tribal war in Nigeria.

“If the governor of Kano State should now be insulting the President because of a discussion between CBN Governor and the President, and say, ‘Lamido is our son, you should not be talking to him anyhow’, then we also have to defend our own son from the South-East.

“So, northern elders should know that we will not keep quiet. I want to tell them to stop and to know that we will not allow them to sue Ihejirika for service to the nation.

“Nobody sued northern elders when they were killing Christians, killing Igbos in the North. Boko Haram killed Igbo traders. Nobody has sued northern elders. They were there but they kept quiet.

“So, why should they now sue Ihejirika because he is an Igboman? I am saying that as Chairman of CAN, South-East, we will not accept that. And we will continue to resist this.

“So, any international suit against Ihejirika will be resisted. I want to warn northern elders. Northern elders should be warned on the suit against Ihejirika, otherwise, they are inviting another tribal war in Nigeria.”

•Photo shows immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika.