Igbos close shops in Borno
From TIMOTHY OLA, Maiduguri
Tuesday, January 25, 2011



Photo: Sun News Publishing
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The Igbos in Borno State have shut down their businesses over what they call selective killings and robbing of their members in the state. They maintained that all shops, businesses and other economic sectors operated by their members would remain shut until government addressed the lingering killings in the state.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Maiduguri, President General of the Igbo Welfare Association (IWA), Chief Nnaka Okereke said the security situation in Borno was worrisome, adding that it had defied all efforts of security agencies.
“In recent weeks, it has taken a frightening dimension in that armed gangs are selectively robbing and killing Igbos.

Armed robberies and killings in the past three weeks have been selectively directed at Igbos and Igbo businesses,” he declared, noting that no fewer than five persons from the south-eastern part of the country had been murdered in cold blood.
Okereke alleged that the last killing of Obinna, 29 and his 16-year-old brother at Dala Alanderi was carried out after separating the target from “others favoured by religion and tribe of the attackers.” He said no fewer than 12 business premises belonging to Igbos had been attacked and robbed at gunpoint within the same period.

He hinted that the leadership of the Igbos had been managing the situation but felt it was time to let the public know the situation in Borno, adding that they feared the security situation in the state could degenerate to the February 18, 2006 crisis, which, he said, the Igbos were yet to receive assistance or compensation from the government.

He said the corpses of the victims of the last week killings were still left in the morgue at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) because the leadership of the Igbos were scared of possible reprisal attacks by the families of the deceased in their states whenever their corpses were conveyed home, urging the Borno State government to contact the governments of the deceased home states to make adequate arrangement to forestall break down of law and order.
“We are appealing to the government of Borno State to liaise with the state governments of those affected persons to avert a national crisis as a result of these unprovoked killings of innocent and helpless citizens going about their legitimate businesses in their fatherland,” he appealed.
The president-general said the Igbos in Borno would need assurances from the state government and the people of Borno to know if they could continue to live, hence, they were prepared to move out of the state soon. All shops, business outfits as well as commercial vehicles in the state did not open. Equally, operators of luxury buses had also downed tools indefinitely in support of the course.


Meanwhile, another soldier was also feared dead in Biu, south of Maiduguri on Sunday night as gunmen on motorcycles attacked some soldiers on duty. Daily Sun gathered from army personnel in Biu that two of the soldiers sustained serious injuries.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/jan/25/national-25-01-2011-012.htm

i think dat al dat nigeria need is simply peace & unity

My brother you are right. I see that they don't want us Ndigbo in their land.