The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), on Monday backed the military’s declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a “terrorist organisation”.
Sagay, however, admitted he was not sure if the military authorities complied with legal requirements before making the pronouncement.
The PACAC chairman stated that IPOB has exhibited characteristics that justified the “terrorist organisation” tag.
“Whilst I’m not sure of the legal parameters of that declaration, in practice I agree. If you look at it, we were very lucky that this thing did not get out of hand.
“They (IPOB) were coming in their thousands, establishing road blocks, bringing out Northerners – for what, I don’t know – to kill some of them? If that is allowed, then the country is finished. Then they burnt down a police station and killed a policeman.
“For Christ sake, even if you want Biafra, you don’t have to be violent. If you look at the words that Kanu uses on the social media, how he has described our President and the rest of us as living in a zoo – abusive, violent, intemperate words – kill, kill, kill, all those in my view constitute in totally acts of terrorism in which they can push undiscerning youths into rage and violence which can be destructive.
“You saw Moslems seeking protection in Port Harcourt. If you start killing Northerners and the North reacts, then we’ve had it.
“I just thank God that the North is showing some maturity and some sense of restraint while this is being curbed. But we really need to curb IPOB otherwise they will turn this country into a tinderbox,” Sagay said.
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