The Coalition insisted that the stance of the US is “highly condemnable in the light of the psychological and emotional trauma that this terrorist group has caused us collectively as a people.”
It maintained that, “every single thing that members of this terrorist group have done in recent weeks will lead to jail terms,” in the United States.
The President of the coalition, Otunba Bolaji Alabi, made these remarks during a protest march to the US embassy in Lagos.
According to Bolaji, “We are here today to protest against something that we know threatens not just our dear country, Nigeria, but also poses a risk to our culture as Yoruba. It is a culture we cherish as passionately as we respect our nationality as Nigerians.
“Our compatriots in south-east Nigeria, our Igbo brothers, have a challenge on their hands by way of some errant persons that are advocating for a forceful breakup of Nigeria. They are pursuing this evil enterprise under the name of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which the Federal Government of Nigeria has properly designated to be a terrorist group. This decision has been confirmed by the court in accordance with what the anti-terrorism law prescribes.
“We were taken aback when the United States of America said IPOB is not a terrorist organization. We find the position of the United States abhorrent and highly condemnable in the light of the psychological and emotional trauma that this terrorist group has caused us collectively as a people.
“Even in the US, every single thing that members of this terrorist group have done in recent weeks will lead to jail terms.
“The United States should desist from making decisions from the comfort of its echo chambers, in which it only hears itself without the benefit of appreciating what the end recipients of the situation under consideration go through.
“This situation is unacceptable and we do not see why any country will offer support to a terrorist group that is responsible for human suffering on this scale.
“We have decided as a people that our lot is in a united and indivisible Nigeria. It is inconceivable that we change who we are as Yoruba because some terrorists have been bolstered by the US. To be so insulted, derided, attacked and killed by IPOB terrorists for this conviction is unacceptable.
“It was on this note that we commended the court’s declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organization; if the United States thinks and says otherwise then we have no option than to begin to treat that country as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“May we also point out that stakeholder may know the start of this contention but no one knows where it would head or where it would end. IPOB is already exporting its violence as seen in Bengaluru, India on September 24, 2017 when violence by members of the terror group left one person dead and property destroyed.
“The US is home to many Nigerians and it is a matter of time before IPOB export its violence to that country and we boldly warn the US to watch out in Houston, Texas, where IPOB has vibrant cells.
“Our thoughts are that the United States corrects its mistake within reasonable time so that IPOB would not use its position as an excuse to spread its violence and hatred to other parts of the world. We are closely monitoring to see how soon the US would do the right thing by distancing itself from a terror organization that has the Yoruba in its crosshair.”
