The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) has reaffirmed its prior announcement that it will prohibit cows reared by Fulani ranchers from the southeast beginning in April 2022.
The decision was made to safeguard the residents of the region, not out of animosity for the Fulani ethnic group, according to the group.
IPOB issued the reminder in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Monday, in which the group also accused some individuals of attempting to blackmail it over its decision to prohibit the travel and consumption of Fulani cows.
The statement, however, stated that there is no turning back and that people in the southeast should begin looking for alternatives because the federal government has demonstrated its failure to protect residents in the region from Fulani herdsmen attacks.
IPOB had announced the ban on Fulani cows and the reciting of the National Anthem in schools in the southeast region in January 2022, InsightnaijaTV recalls.
Traditional authorities, clergy, and local unions were instructed to make sure the word got to the people.
The outlawed group announced on Monday that the April 2022 deadline for the ban to take effect is still in place.
The IPOB statement reads in part: “We wish to reiterate that our earlier decision to ban the movement and consumption of Fulani cows in Biafra land, from April 2022, is sacrosanct.
“We also wish to correct the misinformation and misconceptions surrounding our position on the issue which our enemies are peddling to blackmail us.
“In the first place, the decision was taken as a last resort after many years of patience over the unprovoked genocidal attacks by Fulani herdsmen on our communities, and the failure of the double-faced Nigeria security agencies to rein in the rampaging Fulani mass murderers.
“We have waited enough and can no longer tolerate the docility and criminal silence of the Federal Government in protecting our communities against these agents of death.
“Since their cows have been the reason the jihadists are slaughtering our people, destroying our farms, raping our women and kidnapping our men for ransom, we have decided to stop consuming these cursed Fulani cows which have now become a source of sorrow and death.
“It’s better we are alive and eat no Fulani cows than desire to eat them and be killed.
“The world should note that before arriving at this IRREVERSIBLE decision, we have made several appeals to the federal government and the security agencies to stop the Fulani from their atrocities in our land but they looked the other way, leaving our hapless communities at the mercy of these messengers of death.
“Our patience has been over stretched beyond its elasticity point. We can no longer afford to fold our arms and be waiting for the last man in Biafra land to be killed by jihadists masquerading as herdsmen.
“Our people waste huge sums of money up to N3bn every year on cow meat and we won’t allow that to continue and encouraging those who have the money to start breeding our local cows (Efi Igbo) and other farming, IPOB will support them to boasts the farming and animal husbandry business.
“Our decision to ban the movement, sale and consumption of Fulani cows throughout Biafra land with effect from April of this year is not borne out of hate but we are safeguarding our land and our people from the evil agenda of Fulanis. Our decision is born out of the natural desire to preserve our race from being wiped out by the herdsmen.
“If you are a Biafran dealing on Fulani cows in Biafraland, its better you look for an alternative now because we won’t spear any inch regarding herdsmen cows after April this year, don’t say we don’t warn you. A word is enough for the wise.”
