Ohanaeze, MASSOB set for showdown in Kano, reject release of suspected killers of Agbahime by Kano court

www.odogwublog.com reports that the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio- cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has strongly condemned the discharge and acquittal of all five suspected killers of Igbo trader in Kano State, Mrs. Bridget Agbahime by a Kano State magistrate court.

Similarly, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra ( MASSOB) has also rejected the judgment, alleging foul play.

The late 74 year-old Imo - State born Agbahime was strangulated to death by a mob  at Kofar Wambai market over alleged blasphemy last June.

But the suspected killers were last Thursday freed after the magistrate court quashed the four-count charge of inciting disturbance, culpable homicide, joint act and mischief earlier slammed on them.

Their acquittal followed the intervention of the Kano State Attorney General who 
through the state counsel, Mr Rabiu Yusuf, told the court that they had no case against the suspects.

Meanwhile, condemnation  and outrage have trailed the release of the suspects with different individuals and group describing it as " provocative and a rape of Justice."

Ohanaeze Youth Council ( OYC) in a press statement personally signed by  its National President, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the judgemnt was " an insult on the Igbo tribe "where the victim hailed from.

OYC demanded the immediate probe of the trial Magistrate and the Attorney General of Kano State over their role in the " ridiculous trial", saying it is yet to find any grounds why the suspects would be  so lightly discharged.

OYC which vowed to appeal the judgement said it would on November 11, stage  a mass protest in Kano, seven Igbo- speaking states and other  major cities in Nigeria to register its dissatisfaction with the "biased judgement."

The Igbo youth therefore, tasked Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State to ensure the killers of Agbahime were brought to book, warning that any attempt to cover up the perpetrators would be interpreted as a tacit support of the state to eliminate Ndigbo.

" If the state government fails to prosecute the suspects we will assume that their action has the tacit support of the state, and the governor is advised not to give room for such assumption because it has dire consequences", OYC warned.

OYC further urged the Kano State governor to ensure the protection of lives and property of all Igbos resident in the state.

It also challenged Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State who also doubles as the Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress ( APC) Governors' Forum to rise to the occasion "before it is too late" .

OYC also called on the Federal Government to wade into the matter and ensure the victim gets justice, warning that non prosecution of the perpetrators will set a bad precedence for the country.

" If the federal government treats this matter with kid gloves it could trigger ethnic and religious crisis capable of consuming Nigeria and that is what we want to avoid because a brazen injustice like this is an open wound ".

According to MASSOB, the dramatic discharge of the suspects was a "calculated directive from the Kano state government to deny Ndigbo justice."

MASSOB Leader, Uchenna Madu in a release, said the action was "the manifestation of this barbaric impunity with religious shade."

The release read in part:  "This is among uncountable and several religious, ethnic and political killings of our people in the northern Nigeria which has been justified or ignored by political, religious and traditional leaders from northern Nigeria.

"  This  religiously motivated murder of an Igbo Biafran woman was consciously and deliberately carried out by some disgruntled Islamic jihadist."

MASSOB, therefore, challenged the Igbo political elite to get justice for the late Agbahime, saying that posterity will judge them if they fail to act.

"Though it is a slap and affront to Ndigbo, we challenge the  Igbo political, Traditional and religious leaders mostly the IMO state government where madam Agbahime hails from to rise up in defense of this Igbo martyr".