The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), a global socio-cultural organization for Igbo youths, has reaffirmed the non-violent stance of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), emphasizing that the group does not participate in the destruction of infrastructures in the Southeast. Speaking during a national press briefing, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, President General of the OYC, dismissed allegations linking IPOB to recent incidents of arson, including the burning of the National Open University Nsu Center and Senator Frank Ibezim’s residence.
Igboayaka stressed that IPOB is committed to peaceful self-determination and that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has consistently condemned criminal activities in the Southeast. “Kanu has always maintained that the struggle for Biafra must remain peaceful, and he has repeatedly warned against anyone using IPOB’s name to perpetrate violence,” Igboayaka said.
Addressing the rumors surrounding the National Open University Nsu Center, Igboayaka refuted claims that it was meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps for Fulani or Boko Haram members. He clarified that the center was designed to benefit Igbo youth displaced by the insecurity in the Southeast, especially those affected by conflicts in areas like Orlu, Oguta, and Okigwe.
OYC called on the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to designate the National Open University Nsu Center as a strategic location for a skills acquisition center. The center, Igboayaka noted, is ideally positioned to serve youths from Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, and Anambra, given its central location and superior facilities.
The council urged Governor Uzodimma to resist politically motivated pressures and to establish a community-led supervisory committee to ensure that the center exclusively benefits Southeastern youths. “It’s essential that this center is used to uplift our youths and not be derailed by political games,” Igboayaka added.
Signed by Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, National President General of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, and Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Cedric Nweke, Secretary General, the statement underscores the need for a peaceful resolution to the insecurity in the region and calls for an investigation into past violent incidents.
