Picture: Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor
By Titus Eleweke
Anambra State-born human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has warned that the grievances of the Igbo people over alleged marginalisation cannot justify violence, killings and destruction in the South-East.
Ejiofor, in his latest piece titled “Midweek Musings: It Is Too Late in the Day to Deny the Obvious,” acknowledged that the Igbo have suffered historical, political and economic marginalisation in Nigeria, but insisted that such grievances must not be used to promote self-destruction.
“We cannot cure marginalisation by committing suicide,” he said, warning that innocent lives and property must not be sacrificed in the name of ethnic emancipation.
The lawyer said he recently held a candid discussion with some Igbo media professionals on the dangers of ethnic sentiment and the tendency to rationalise destructive acts when they are presented as part of a struggle for liberation.
He described such blind loyalty as “intellectual bondage,” arguing that education should liberate people from ignorance rather than make them captive to destructive sentiments.
Ejiofor also criticised those who defend or celebrate individuals accused of involvement in violence simply because they belong to the same ethnic group.
He explained that courts must rely on evidence rather than propaganda, social media campaigns or ethnic sentiments in determining guilt or innocence.
The lawyer recalled the public bounty previously placed on his head by Simon Ekpa, whom he accused of promoting violent criminality, expressing disappointment that some people, including members of the legal profession, still celebrate personalities associated with violence in the South-East.
Ejiofor urged the Igbo to distinguish between a genuine struggle for justice and activities that exploit legitimate grievances to cause bloodshed.
“Let nobody imagine that history has gone to sleep. The land remembers. The victims remember. History remembers,” he said.
He prayed for healing and restoration in the region, urging the people to reject violence and embrace justice, truth and wisdom.
Tags: #IfeanyiEjiofor #Igbo #SouthEast #IPOB #Nigeria
