Ohanaeze Disowns Viral Call to Arms Claim

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned a viral social media publication alleging that its President-General, Senator Azuta Mbata, issued a call to arms, describing the report as false, dangerous and a deliberate attempt to incite violence.

In a statement issued at the weekend by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said the publication was falsely attributed to its leadership and did not originate from any of its recognised communication channels.

It stressed that Senator Mbata never made such statements, never called for the acquisition of weapons and never authorised any publication suggesting an imminent conflict.

Ohanaeze described the report as reckless and criminal, warning that it was designed to instil fear, provoke unrest and portray Ndigbo as promoters of lawlessness.

The group emphasised that Senator Mbata is a respected elder statesman whose leadership has consistently been guided by peaceful advocacy, constitutional processes, justice and fairness.

Reaffirming its commitment to dialogue, unity and peaceful coexistence within Nigeria, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide warned that the spread of such inflammatory misinformation poses a grave threat to public peace, national security and inter-ethnic harmony.

The organisation called on security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the fake publication, and urged the public to disregard the report.