The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned traditional rulers in the South-East who sell their ancestral lands to Fulani herdsmen to get ready for trouble.
IPOB said it has received reliable information that some traditional rulers and President-General (PG) in Ogbaru LGA of Anambra State now tag their youths members of Eastern Security Network (ESN) for opposing the sale of lands to herders.
The group said that some Monarchs and PGs in Ogbaru invite the Nigerian Army to their communities to arrest their youths whenever the youths oppose their indiscriminate selling of lands to Fulani herdsmen.
IPOB spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful said the trend has been for a while in many communities, but they have only gotten concrete evidence about the situation from Ogbaru.
He specifically accused the King of Atani Community and other kings in the river-rine LGA of Ogbaru of inviting the Nigerian Navy to arrest their youths who resisted selling of lands to Fulani herdsmen.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to the treacherous and abominable activities of some evil traditional rulers and President Generals in Biafran land who report their youths to the Fulani-controlled Nigerian soldiers to kill them.
“We have got reports of traditional rulers and President Generals who terrorise youths in their community by tagging them IPOB members and ESN operatives.
“The only crime of the youths is standing up for their rights and resisting the sale of community land to Fulani herdsmen.
“It’s an abomination for a traditional ruler in Biafra land to report youths in his community to Nigeria Army just because he feels the youths are standing in his way to sell the community land to the Fulani herders.
“We, therefore, warn all such treacherous monarchs to retrace their steps or brace up for the consequences of their evil action.”
The IPOB spokesman also said that henceforth, any traditional ruler that reports his subjects to the Nigeria Army or Navy to torture them for opposing their plans to sell community land to Fulani herdsmen shall get ready to answer to their ancestors.
“Such evil traitors are not worthy to live how much more occupy the kingship stool in Biafraland,” he said.
IPOB, therefore, demands the unconditional release of all the youths allegedly arrested by the Navy at Atani and other communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“If you evil monarchs doubt our resolve to deal with you, fail to release those arrested by naval officers in the affected communities within seven days.
“If after seven days the arrested youths are not released, the treacherous traditional rulers and President Generals who masterminded their ordeals should prepare to reap the fruit of their treachery.
“Any treacherous traditional ruler and President Generals found to be selling our ancestral land to the Fulani Herdsmen, who are terrorist jihadists from the Fouta Jallon shall be held responsible for whatever consequences that will emanate from such action.”
