IPOB urges Italian govt to place arms embargo on Nigeria
Chigozie Amadi
Indigenous people of Biafra, (IPOB), Tuesday, urged Italian Government to halt sale of airforce Jets to Nigeria government, and also place arms embargo on the Nigeria Government for flagrant violations of human rights and shelling of peaceful communities of Indigenous people in Nigeria.
Making the plea through its image maker, Emma Powerful, it said, “We call on all civilized nations to stop further sale of military hardware and software to Nigeria because of their pretense at fighting terrorists. The Nigeria government has created the terrorist groups that they are pretending to have been fighting in order to displace Indigenous nations and allow individuals in power to loot the country’s funds.
“Therefore, we appeal to the Italian government to stop the military aircraft purchase deal they entered into with the Nigeria government. We also ask other countries considering selling arms to Nigeria to stop because Nigeria is not using the arms for their intended purposes.
“IPOB has no intention to interfere with the Italian Government’s business but wants to inform them that the Nigeria military has not used the previously acquired arms and ammunition including fighter jets to fight terrorists who operate in the open in Northern Nigeria but have targeted innocent and peaceful people. Unarmed IPOB members have also been the victims of Nigeria’s military brutality.
“Some of the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) Camps in Nigeria have been intentionally bombed by the Nigeria military to prevent the displaced persons from returning to their communities already ceded to the terrorists as their own,,” he stated.
The image maker recalled that an Okuama community in Delta State, Nigeria, was invaded, bombed, and the entire community displaced by the Nigeria military adding that the Federal Government and her military are known for human rights violations and genocide against her civilians.
According to him, “In 2021, the Nigerian Air Force bought “12” A-29 Super Tucano Jets from the United State of America to fight terrorism in Nigeria. After the delivery of those fighter jets, they were deployed in the Eastern region of the country and were used in bombing of Igbo villages and its people mostly in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
“From the day the Tucano jets arrived Nigeria in 2021 till late 2023, they were never used against terrorists but were consistently used in bombing of innocent people in Imo State in the Eastern part of the country that is Biafra land and also in bombing of ID camps in the North who are victims of Boko Haram terrorists attacks.
“The Nigerian government’s plan to purchase about 20 more fighter jets from Italy for the Nigerian Air Force now raises the question; why would the Italian government consider selling fighter jets to Nigeria to be used on innocent, armless and peaceful Igbo communities like the U.S. did in 2021?
” If the Italian government cares about the lives of Indigenous People in Nigeria, then this deal has to be cancelled because it is a threat to the lives of millions of people resident in the Eastern region (Igboland).
“Nigeria government deceived United State of America in 2021 that those Tucano jets will be used against terrorists in the country, have they also told another lie to the Italian government so that they can secure the purchase of these Air Force jets? We are watching.
“The lives of the Indigenous Biafrans must be protected at all means by cancelling this deal to sell arms to Nigeria. It is public knowledge that the Nigerian government and her military are not sincere in the fight against terrorists. Instead, they are after unarmed activists and innocent Nigerians,” it further explained.
“IPOB urged the Italian government to halt the sale of jets to the Nigeria government because their fight against terrorism is a hoax. We are calling on the Italian Prime Minister, Ms. Giorgia Meloni, to place an arms embargo on the Nigeria government for their history of bombing civilian population and for human right violations,,” IPOB stated.
