The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has strongly condemned recent comments by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, in which he reportedly suggested arming Igbo youths to counter the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organization representing the Igbo people, described Gumi’s remarks as inflammatory and an attack on the Igbo ethnic group.
In a statement signed by its Naational President, Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka, and Secretary-General, Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Nweke, the OYC accused Gumi of promoting a conspiracy against the Igbo people. They alleged that his statement was part of a broader plot initiated during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to destabilize the Southeast region by sponsoring violence and criminal activities.
The OYC linked Gumi’s comments to the 2021 Owerri prison break, which saw over1,800 inmates escape. They claimed that the incident was orchestrated to create chaos in the region and blame IPOB. They also alleged that Sheikh Gumi played a role in past security crises and had ties to the Boko Haram insurgency and banditry in northern Nigeria.
Additionally, the youth group accused Gumi of attempting to orchestrate a military coup disguised as an “End Bad Governance” protest in 2023 to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government. They claim that the coup attempt failed due to a lack of support from the Igbo people and IPOB.
The OYC has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to:
– Set up a special investigative unit to probe the 2021 Owerri prison break and expose its sponsors.
– Establish an Independent Judicial Commission to investigate Sheikh Gumi’s activities from 2015 to date.
– Order the immediate arrest of former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over their alleged involvement in the security crisis in the Southeast.
The youth group further advised President Tinubu to disregard any conspiracy linking IPOB to terrorism, insisting that the movement remains non-violent in its call for self-determination. They called for a political resolution to the case of detained IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, urging the government to drop all charges against him and grant his unconditional release.
Finally, the OYC emphasized that resolving insecurity in both the Southeast and North is essential to Nigeria’s economic recover, as insecurity has severely impacted national growth.
The statement concluded with a warning to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi to desist from making inciting remarks that could provoke ethnic and regional tensions in Nigeria.
