The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has refuted claims that the organization described the arrest of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, as ethnic cleansing.
Mr Iwuanyanwu, in a statement on Sunday, said the group would not interfere with the investigation of the suspended CBN governor by the State Security Service, SSS.
According to him, the author of the purported statement is a criminal imposter who is unknown to the organisation.
While calling on security operatives to arrest those impersonating the group, the president of the apex Igbo sociocultural group stressed that the organisation would not interfere in disciplinary actions taken by the government against its officials.
He, however, said the group would stand with any individual who has been proven innocent by a court of law.
The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to a publication making the rounds by one MAZI CHIMA UZOR, who claimed to be the Director of National Interest Matters in Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“In his publication, he claimed that Ohanaeze condemned Emefiele’s suspension, saying its ethnic cleansing. I want to state categorically that this is false in its entirety. I hereby state emphatically that:
“Mazi Chima Uzor is an impersonator and unknown to Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. There is no office for national interest matters in Ohanaeze Ndidigbo Worldwide. Ohanaeze has no intention whatsoever to interfere with investigations by the DSS or other security agents of the country.
“Ohanaeze also has no intention whatsoever to interfere with the disciplinary actions by the government on officials of the government.
“Individuals have a right to go to court, and when the court of law proves the individual innocent and Ohanaeze is convinced that the individual is innocent, Ohanaeze will take every step necessary to assist the individual. In the other hand, if the individual is guilty, the Ohanaeze will be unable to assist.
“The case of Mazi Chima Uzor is a matter of criminal impersonation. By this disclaimer, we are requesting the security agents to treat this matter as a very serious criminal case.
“We wish finally to alert the public to many fraudsters who are tarnishing the good name and reputation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo by making false publications in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for selfish interests. We hope with the help of security agents, they will soon be flushed out.”
