Two frontline Igbo groups have lashed out at those linking immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Onyeabor Ihejirika, with the sponsorship of Boko Haram terrorist group.

Ndigbo Lagos and Igbo think tank Aka Ikenga in separate statements in Lagos dismissed the allegation against Ihejirika as laughable, challenging those trumpeting it to back up their claim with facts or shut up.

In a statement entitled ‘The Defamation of General Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) – The Position of Ndigbo Lagos’ signed by the Director of Communications and Strategy, Chuma Igwe, the group said:

“The apparently procured, choreographed and orchestrated interview on Arise Television on

Thursday August 28 in which a certain Stephen Davies an Australian of the ilk of many white

mercenaries prowling the African continent, accused General Ihejirika of being a sponsor of

Boko Haram is most condemnable.

“In the said interview, Mr. Davies did not adduce or suggest any single evidence to support his

accusation. Curiously when in the same breadth he said he has knowledge of the sponsor of

the Abuja Nyanya bombing he refused to name names. Most tragic in this choreographed

defamation of an illustrious General, is the interviewer’s unprofessionalism in failing to

demand evidence from Ihejirika’s accuser, Mr Stephen Davies. General Ihejirika has since

denied this allegation. Given the lack of evidence, the nature of delivery of the allegation and

the character of the accused General, Ndigbo Lagos believes Ihejirika’s traducers are playing

dirty politics.

“General Ihejirika will be remembered for being one of the most outstanding Commanders

Nigeria has had. He is not only an accomplished tactician but also a Strategic leader of a

fighting force. In his time he not only decimated the fighting capability of Boko Haram but

also built enduring military institutions to permanently checkmate insurgency in Nigeria.

“According to the Vanguard on-line of 27th August 2014, General Ihejirika ‘not only

established the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Maiduguri, he also

established new Army Brigades, Counter Terrorism Schools in Kachia and Jaji…’

“When Ihejirika retired from the Army, the same self-selected Northern bigots wanted him tried by The World Court for being overzealous in crushing Boko Haram. Eight months down the road, the same

“General Ihejirika is now accused of being a sponsor. The orchestration of this insidious allegation by Nasir El Rufai a character fast drifting gracelessly into the ethnic bigoted pit of hell, reveals the tragic indulgence in denial, escapism by the same self-centred Northern politicians who would rather create hell to rule over than serve in heaven. As Ndigbo Lagos advised the likes of Nasir El Rufai earlier, those who ride the tiger will inevitably find themselves in the belly of the tiger.

“We therefore call on the Federal Government to institute a high powered inquiry to address this obnoxious allegation and lay it to rest.”

On its part, Aka Ikenga, reacting through its President, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, described the allegation as “a tale told a by a fool”.

Said Uwazuruike: “It is like a tale told by a fool. It is a peddler of false news who will go around beating his chest that one nonentity spoke to other nonentities.

“Whoever said that must be a big fool and whoever is repeating is also a big fool. One unknown man from somewhere said somebody told him that a particular person is sponsoring Boko Haram and he goes about town.

“Who made the statement? An unknown entity. Who is the person repeating it?

“Somebody who was in government for eight years, who was in government when Boko Haram started in 2002, who was in government when the sect was festering, and somebody who till today has never condemned Boko Haram.

“I am even disappointed in the national chairman of a party going about talking like somebody that has diarrhoea of the mouth.

“I think all of them should go and hide their heads in shame. How can they claim to be leaders when all they do is accept any rubbish statement from any unknown entity?

“If Ihejirika was one of those accused, this negotiator should have told us when he was in Obasanjo or Yar’adua’s government.

“When he was the COAS, he dealt viciously with Boko Haram that the same set of disgruntled people threatened to report him to ICC for not respecting the rights of Boko Haram people. And the same set of people are accusing him of being behind Boko Haram.”

•Photo shows Gen. Ihejirika.