Biafra: Trouble Looms As Nnamdi Kanu’s Kinsmen Ask IPOB Members To Stay Away From Parents’ Burial

Kinsmen of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, have asked IPOB members to stay away from his parents’ burial ceremony later this month.

This online news platform had reported earlier that the parents of the IPOB leader, late HRH Eze Israel Okwu Kanu and his wife late Ugoeze Sally Nmeme Okwu-Kanu will be buried on Valentine’s day, Friday, February 14, 2020.

Naija News reports that ahead of the burial ceremony, the governor of Abia State, southeast Nigeria, Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the state ministry of works to ensure the immediate reconstruction of Eze I. O. Kanu road in Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area (LGA).

While IPOB members are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Mr. Kanu for the burial ceremony, the Afaraukwu community in Umuahia North council area of Abia State, the home town of Mr Kanu, have handed out a warning to IPOB members to stay away, appealing for peace at the burial.

Naija News reports that the President General, Afaraukwu community, Chief Ikechukwu Ndubueze, who briefed the media on the preparations for the burial, said the community wants a peaceful burial for their late monarch and his wife.

His words: “What we are doing is a traditional burial. The entire Afaraukwu community wants a peaceful burial. We have been meeting with the security agencies in the state. What we are doing is not an IPOB affair, we are only burying our late monarch and his wife. They should allow us to bury our dead. Afaraukwu is a peaceful community.

“Some people don’t want us to have a peaceful burial. All we want to do is to give our monarch and his wife a peaceful burial.

“The Commissioner of Police is our tenant, the head of Immigration and other security chiefs live in our community. Even the Abia State Government House is our tenant. They won’t be living in our community if we are not peaceful.”

Ndubueze warned against what he described as fake reports about the burial from the social media which had created tension in the community.

On the other hand, Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the IPOB leader, has urged the Nigerian Army to stay away from the burial and allow the community to bury their late monarch and his wife in a peaceful manner.

“They should stay away from the burial and allow us to bury our late parents. We don’t carry arms, we assure them we will conduct a peaceful burial. My parents have paid the supreme price, the Army should stay away.”

Also speaking, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, the National President, Ohanaeze Youth Council, said it is unacceptable for President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy soldiers to the peaceful Afaraukwu community even when terrorists are killing Nigerians in the North-East zone.