Igbos and IPOB are brainwashed, and they do not understand what they are agitating for, says Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi.

“When you have infested firewood, the ants will definitely come over there,” said the governor during an interview with Channels TV. “Let our people come out to speak out that the unknown gunmen are not really unknown gunmen. They are our young men and women who will defend our land tomorrow; they should stop giving themselves to be killed.”

According to him, arsonists and killers on the rampage in the South-East are Igbos and are known by indigenes of the region, urging those involved in wanton violence in the geopolitical zone to embrace peace and dialogue.

Mr Umahi threw his weight behind the security agencies for defending the country’s sovereignty as he condemned vicious attacks on police facilities and officers.

“Let our people stop confronting the security agencies,” he urged. “Without burning properties of the government, there will be no need for the deployment of security operatives, and when they are deployed, you cannot tell them how to do the job when they are confronted with death.”

The governor asserted that police officers, soldiers, and other security operatives violently attacked and killed by the Igbo criminal elements had families.

“A lot of them have lost their lives. They have families. We have to also know that the lives of the security operatives are the lives of our brothers and sisters, we are killing ourselves and it should stop,” Mr Umahi explained.

Doubling down on his castigation of the Igbos, the Ebonyi governor added, “People are being brainwashed – they don’t even know what they are agitating for,” he stated as the first factor.”

He also accused them of using sorcery for protection and illicit drugs to engage in daredevil criminal operations against the government.

“There are people who go to talismen (sic) to get all kinds of juju that no gun can kill them,” claimed Mr Umahi, “and yet, guns are killing them.”

He added, “Then you have the hard drugs. These are the three factors destroying our land.”