Ex-minister warns against ‘butchering’ of Igbos

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has spoken out against recent anti-Igbo comments made by the Convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Junaid Mohammed.

Mohammed said, during a recent interview, that President Muhammadu Buhari did not owe the Igbos anything and that they could attempt secession again if they thought they were being treated unfairly.

In condemnation of the comments, Fani-Kayode warned, while speaking to Vanguard, that if Igbos were butchered again, like they were in 1966, their secession attempt would succeed.

The former Minister said:

“Given the immense suffering that the Igbo were subjected to both before, during and after the civil war this is one of most insensitive, cruel and puerile comments that I have heard in recent times.”

“I daresay that if Junaid Mohammed’s Nigeria ever butchers over 100,000 innocent Igbo civilians again, as they did in the north in 1966 just before the civil war, there will indeed be another attempt to secede, but this time it will not only be successful, but they will also take many others with them.”

“Rather than boast and beat our chests, we must learn from our history and we must never repeat its mistakes.”

Mohammed also said that the Igbos had acted ‘outside the interest of Nigeria as a country’ and as such their expectation of ‘compensation is a very odd logic.’