‘We must bring him down,’ as Igbo groups accuse Asari Dokubo of unrest in S’East

Niger Delta activist, Asari Dokubo has come under fire for recent statements made against Igbo of the South East region, as he boasted about his Kalabari forefathers enslaving them until they were freed by the British slave trade abolitionists.

Dokubo reportedly made the statements in separate appearances, last Friday in Aso Rock in Abuja, and in a video, Tuesday.

The Niger Delta had labelled the detained leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a criminal, as he further urged President Bola Tinubu not to release him from prison custody during an interview while fielding questions by State House Correspondents on the sidelines of a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu, last Friday.

Barely days after the Aso Rock visit, Dokubo was also captured in a viral video, Tuesday, threatening to enslave Igbo people like his forefathers did years back during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade era in Kalabari.

During Dokubo’s visit to meet with Tinubu, the activist had urged the President not to release from

prison custody, detained leader of the pro-secession group, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu on the grounds that he (Kanu) is a criminal who contributed to the unrest caused by EndSARS activists across the country.

“His release would fuel impunity; during #EndSARS, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of #EndSARS. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law,” Dokubo had stated.

However, reacting to that Dokubo claim, IPOB described the Niger Delta militant as unstable, swaying from ‘freedom fighter to bunkering militant and now political thug.’

“Those campaigning for the continuous detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in DSS solitary confinement forgot that militancy for monetary gains is in the same category as criminals and terrorists.

“From freedom fighter to bunkering militant; from militant to ex-militant; from ex-militant to oil pipeline guard; from pipeline guard to Biafra agitator; from agitator to ex-agitator; from ex-agitator to political thug; from thuggery to a government informant. Wash a pig, clothe a pig, and a pig will always remain a pig,” read a statement issued by IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful.

Only last Tuesday, Dokubo, the leader of the now disbanded Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) again fired another salvo in which he claimed in a video that were it not for the British intervention in abolishing the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, he like his forefathers would still be trading in Igbo slaves, just as he accused the Igbo of ‘seeking attention’ and not ‘knowing their roots.’

“The Igbo people do not know their roots. They don’t have respect for who bought their father. You think every Kalabari man is a Kalabari man.

“See how the Igbo people are dying. They keep saying that I have run away. Look at me; I’m here,” he said.

Dokubo threatened while displaying an AK-47 rifle in the video.

Reacting in separate statements to Dokubo’s claims, Igbo groups, including the IPOB and the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) demanded the arrest of the activist, while also accusing him of fueling the militant unrest in the South East region, through the activities of ‘unknown gunmen, who have wreaked havoc on citizens as well as military and para-military establishments in the area.

According to National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, while speaking to the newsmen in Abuja, Thursday, the Bola Tinubu administration is complicit in the unrest in the South East region.

The OYC is the youth wing of the apex socio-cultural group in the South-East, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

The group further declared that ‘Ndigbo are quite convinced that Asari Dokubo’s visit to Aso Rock villa is an orchestrated meeting to further the ugly marginalisation of the Igbos and subsequently stamp them out of existence as well as ensuring that every “perceived political opponent” is eliminated.”

According to the OYC, Asari Dokubo’s new provocative posture against the Igbo has only emerged ‘few days after meeting with the president.’

“Recall that in a recent video clip that has gone viral on social media, the notorious ex- militant, Asari Dokubo was seen threatening to kill, exterminate and murder all Igbos wherever they are found just few days after being hosted, at Aso Rock villa, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“As we have waited patiently after 48 hours of Asari Dokubo’s threats to kill the Igbos with fierce ambition as displayed in the said viral video with AK-47 riffles, it is most unfortunate that the said Asari Dokubo is yet to be apprehended and/or prosecuted by the State Security Services (DSS).

“Without mincing words, Ndigbo are quite convinced that Asari Dokubo’s visit to Aso Rock villa is an orchestrated meeting to further the ugly marginalisation of the Igbos and subsequently stamp them out of existence as well as ensuring that every “perceived political opponent” is eliminated,” Igboayaka revealed.

“It’s obvious that the effrontery and/or the boldness of Asari Dokubo to have threatened the Igbos while brandishing hard military wares and/or weaponry like Ak-47 rifle is clearly smacked of a strong secret approval of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The above is a vivid signpost to a secret agenda by Mr. President against the Igbo Christians through the clown called Asari Dokubo.

“In our experience and to our knowledge that Asari Dokubo is a muslim like Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the fears of muslim-muslim tickets by the Christians is, actually, for the avoidance of elimination of Igbo Christian which Mr. President, instead of assuaging such fears, has rather commissioned Asari Dokubo, with all the paraphernalia and/or requisite protection of the federal government, to intensify the fears and murder the Igbos.

“If Ndigbo wait for another 48hrs without Asari Dokubo being arrested and/or prosecuted for acts of terrorism and be jailed, Ndigbo would be constrained to have no other options than to gather all forms of sophisticated weaponry for their self-defence to avoid being stamped out of existence in their prime by agent of darkness called Asari Dokubo at the support and/or behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.

On  its part, in another statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, Thursday, IPOB accused Asari Dokubo of being responsible for the killings and criminalities going on in the South East aided  by the Imo State Governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Hope Uzodimma, as well as the unrest in the Southern Kaduna region.

IPOB, in the statement also said that for several months now, countless lives have been lost in Imo State ‘by Hope Uzodinma’s militia called Ebubeagu.’

“This murderous militia is comprised of Fulani terrorists, Niger Delta militants, and some Igbo criminals who were recruited by Asari Dokubo for Hope Uzodinma’s (Governor) murderous activities in his home state.”

“During Asari Dokubo’s press interview last Friday, June 16, 2023, he confirmed his involvement in the security of some states, particularly in Imo and Kaduna states.

“In that interview, Asari claimed that his boys have been involved in security operations in Imo and Kaduna States and among other places. From his own confession, it’s obvious that Asari Dukubo was responsible for the mass abductions and killings in Imo and Southern Kaduna.”

IPOB said that Dokubo must be held responsible for all the extrajudicial killings of innocent citizens in the named states, adding that it is documenting the extrajudicial killings and destructions in Imo State “by Hope Uzodinma and Asari Dukubo’s militias.

”These murderous militias coded into Ebubagu are responsible for the wantom massacre, forceful disappearances, and burning of properties in Imo State and some border towns in Anambra State.

“We have interviewed dozens of victims and eyewitnesses who told us that the perpetrators are men they identified as Ebubeagu militia working in partnership with Nigeria Security officials in Imo State. We have also profiled these murderous men in Ebubagu and found out that many of them are imported terrorists from Niger, Mali, and Chad.

“We were reliably informed on several occasions that most of the militias are Niger Delta and Fulani boys recruited by Asari Dokubo and bankrolled by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

“Two of the Ebubeagu boys themselves actually told us that they were working for Asari Dokubo in Imo State.

“Therefore, Hope Uzodinma and Asari Dokubo must explain their reasons for abducting, murdering, and dumping of the corpses of many innocent Igbo youths in a valley in Orlu in Imo State.”

IPOB also blamed the Ijaw people for keeping quiet over the ‘insult and disparaging of Ndigbo by Asari Dokubo,’ just as the group asked them not to complain later if Asari Dokubo is killed ‘because we must bring him down.’