By Nwafor Okafor
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied banning cow meat in the South-East.
In a statement on Monday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said what it banned was cows destroying farms in the zone and their herders raping women in the area.
There were reports last week that the secessionist group had banned Fulani cows ceremonies in Biafraland.
The report was attributed to a new year address signed by one Chika Edoziem, a leader in IPOB.
Denying the statement, IPOB warned against being misunderstood, maintaining that the reason for the ban was to safeguard the region against further attacks and pollution by Fulani herdsmen.
The statement reads in part, “Our attention has been drawn to the latest ranting by a Fulani group against IPOB members and ESN operatives including entire people of Biafra living in the North.
“These irritants have called for the boycott of all Igbo products in the North as a retaliation for the proposed ban on cow meat in Biafra land with effect from April.
“We did not ban cow meat but those cows that were destroying our farms and those raping our mothers, wives and sisters in the farms, Biafrans can foreign cows not the ones that can bring fulani terrorists in our territories.
“This threat by these misguided Northern groups called themselves Northern coalition group has further confirmed the belief that the atrocities of fulani rapists herdsmen in Biafra and other parts of Nigeria are a common agenda of the North particularly the fulani and their terrorists disguised as herdsmen and cattle rearers in all parts of Nigeria and Biafra.
“How come these hypocrites never threatened Fulani herdsmen as they invade communites and kill farmers in Biafra land without any provocation? Now that we have decided to boycott and ban cow meat and instruct our people not to eat beef but now Fulani threatened us with war because they think we are vulnurable and weak to kill at random.
“We are doing this so that we can have peace in our communities, the real sponsors of the on-going genocide and numerous deaths in our land have surfaced.
“However, we are waiting for Fulani terrorists to carry out their threat against Igbo traders and business interests in the North come April when the ban will take effect. They should remember and understand that the era of intimidation of Igbo people in Nigeria has gone. Nobody has the monopoly of anything anymore against our people if they do they will regret their actions because days has gone for that rubbish.
“Besides the genocidal attacks by herdsmen against innocent commuunities in Biafra land will soon gone, as the for cows they bring to us are defiled and we won’t allow it again here in Biafraland.
“Evidence abound of viral videos where these animalistic elements have illicit and abominable sex with cows. Such is a taboo and an abomination in our land and remained sacrilege in our culture and traditions. Our God abhors it and our land does not tolerate such evil. Never again shall we allow Biafra land to become a dumping ground for defiled cows.
“The Northern coalition should have first questioned Fulani herdsmen on why they have sex with cows, film such abominable act by themselves and post the video to the world. What is the reason for such beastly behavior? Who do they want to hypnotise?
“Why is it that the Northern coalition never cautioned their people to stop sleeping with cows and sell the defiled animals for people to eat?
“The baseless claim by Northern coalition group and Arewa youth groups that IPOB has declared war against the North cannot fly because they started it by destroying archole and hotels belonging to Igbo people in the North while it does not belong to the fulani only. IPOB is wise and knowledgeable enough to know what it means to declare war. We are, and remain a peaceful movement.
“We are only trying to safeguard Biafra land against further attacks and pollution by Fulani herdsmen. Nobody should misconstrue our honest action. Since the federal government and the compromised security agencies have failed to protect our commuunities against incessant attacks by Fulani herdsmen using their cows as excuse, we want to severe everything about cows so we can have our peace. We must not eat cow meat again that comes fulani people. Let them export their cow meat to other countries in West Africa and other African countries.
“We want to encourage our people to be prepared for what is to come. Nobody should be taken unawares. Enough is enough!
“IPOB is ready to enforce this ban on cow meat. There are other alternatives to animal protein. We encourage our people to go into poultry farm, goat rearing and fish production.
“Nobody should dare violate this ban when it takes effect in April as doing so amounts to testing the will of the people.”
