by Alexander O. Onukwue
In the intervening period between the exchanges that took place in Umuahia over the past two weeks, much has been made about congratulating IPOB for not falling for a trap set for it by the Nigerian Army to invite genocide.
The report of 22 persons being killed during the skirmish remains unconfirmed with some commentators insinuating that the figures could have been more if IPOB had elected to engage the soldiers.
But what’s the foundation for or credibility in the line of thought that the Army had gone to incite a justification for genocide?
If anything, it is IPOB who has tried to rile the Army into an exchange with it, either of words or actions. For a group that bears no legal status, neither registered in Federal records nor in the South East, the formation of defense and security outfits, the so-called ‘biafra secret service’ and the fancily named ‘biafra national guard’, are intended to project the image that an attack on them was imminent.
Despite the initial abrasion of its show of force in Umuahia, the Nigerian Army has reasonably stayed off the streets while proceeding with the Python Dance II. It remains most desired, in the minds of most objective persons, that the operation be called off giving the tense dimension within the region. However, it is commendable that it continues with the operation without giving much thought to IPOB, which is trying to get its attention.
Rather than expend energy on replying IPOB, activities such as the medical sensitization in Ebonyi state involving school children, and the Bama initiative should come up more in the news.
