The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has made a plea to the Italian government, urging them to halt the further sale of arms and air-force jets to Nigeria. The group, represented by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, cited the Nigerian government’s alleged flagrant violation of human rights as the reason behind their appeal.
IPOB accused the Nigerian government of utilizing the arms procured from international sources to suppress and kill innocent civilians, particularly in the South-East region of Nigeria. They emphasized that the arms sold to Nigeria were not being used for the intended purpose of combating terrorism but rather to target peaceful communities and unarmed IPOB members.
Emma Powerful, speaking on behalf of IPOB, urged the Italian government to reconsider their military aircraft purchase deal with Nigeria and to impose an arms embargo on the Nigerian government. The group highlighted instances where internally displaced people’s camps in Nigeria had been intentionally bombed, further underscoring their concerns about the misuse of arms by the Nigerian military.
The appeal to the Italian government is part of IPOB’s broader efforts to raise awareness about what they perceive as the Nigerian government’s human rights abuses and to seek international intervention to address the situation.
In response to IPOB’s appeal, the Italian government has yet to issue a formal statement. However, the plea from IPOB adds to the ongoing debate surrounding arms sales to Nigeria and the international community’s role in ensuring that arms are not used to perpetrate violence against civilians.
The Nigerian government has not responded to IPOB’s appeal at the time of writing, and it remains to be seen how this call for action will influence diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Italy, as well as the broader discourse on arms sales and human rights in conflict-affected regions.
REF: vanguardngr
