Ohanaeze Youths Decry Army Harassment of Home-bound Igbos at Onitsha

Following the harrowing experience that Igbos returning home for Christmas and New Year celebrations have been passing through in the hands of soldiers deployed to Onitsha Bridge head, the Ohanaeze Youths Council (OYC) has called for the end to the harassment of innocent people.

The OYC made the call on Wednesday in a press release jointly signed by its National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and National secretary, Okwu Nnabuike.

They noted that the officers and men of the 302 Battalion of the Nigerian Army at Onitsha "appear to have an ethnic agenda" in that town.

"In the past one month these raw soldiers have killed more than twenty (20) unarmed Igbo youths. This time around they waylay Igbos returning home for Xmas and New Year holidays and rough handle a lot of them," the OYC lamented.

According to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo youth wing, the Nigerian troops at Onitsha have been behaving like an army of occupation in an otherwise peaceful commercial city thereby making it difficult for people to exercise their freedom of movement.

It questioned the rationale for subjecting home bound Ndigbo to harassment and intimidation, saying that the authorities should explain if it has become unlawful for Ndigbo to return home for the annual yuletide celebrations. 

Said OYC: "We can no longer tolerate this brazen act in our own land (as) we are neither at war nor a conquered people.  Mr. President should intervene in this matter before it turns into another thing. We have the right to protect the dignity of our people."

Source: This Day