 Welcome back. It's still the breakfast and plus TV Africa in the early hours in the early hours of last Saturday, an identified gunman attacked and bombed the house of the president-general of O'Hanei Zendibu worldwide. Professor George Obioso at Awa-Omama in Orui's local government area of Imo State using what was described as improvised explosive devices, IEDs, and petrol bombs. Now eyewitnesses were reported as seeing the attackers drive into the compound of the president-general at about 6.15 a.m. shooting indiscriminately for over 15 minutes before setting the house ablaze. Properties worth and valuables worth millions of Nara were destroyed in the attack and Mr. Obioso's brother's houses were also set ablaze. The attack had the trademark of the indigenous people of Biafra leading to speculation that the outlawed group agitation for the creation or agitating for the creation of an independent state of Biafra from the southeastern part of Nigeria and some parts of the South-South may have been behind it. The indigenous people of Biafra had on Monday however exonerated itself from the attack. In a statement signed by Ima Parfal, its spokesperson, the group described the attack on Obi-Oz's house as a barbaric, shameful, and disgraceful act. A condemnation of the attack on the country home of the president-general of the Apex Ibo sociocultural organization has also come from leading voices in Nigeria with President Buhari among them. In a statement he described the attack as deeply distressing. I'm glad to say we have joining us to throw some light on this and you know answer questions regarding this unfortunate incident. The National Publicity Secretary of Ohane's Indigo Worldwide joining us from Inugoi's Dr. Cheadosi Alex Ibonia and Dr. Alex Ibonia thanks for joining us and good morning to you. Hello Dr. Alex Ibonia, are you there please? Yeah, I'm there with you. Alright, thanks for joining us and good morning to you. Thank you very much. Yes, can you please tell us for those who you don't want to hear from the horse's own mouth as it were, what happened on Saturday at the country home of Professor Obi-Ozo. Yeah, Ahane has not an issue statement on that and it's very deliberate. It's very deliberate because we don't want to be in a hurry to issue statement. Sometimes people may issue statement and sometimes maybe of suspicion of wanting to order, they may misstep. So because of that, it's very great to be decided to issue an example of some basic investigations are conducted before we are able to know the exact position. And the more of that, what most people suspected, the surface high-pub, that you can see Ipob came out to disclaim and also to condemn the water food that is given to us as barbaric. And of course, they associated themselves from such a great act and that they have anything, anything to force us to attack Professor Obi-Ozo. The same way, many other groups have condemned what happened. So I am sure that in the South East, as they go, there's a kind of racism. There's a rising up feeling of alienation and marginalization. Or there's a dignity that is immaculate on the people of South East. So people, a lot of people are angry and this is given into kind of post-relations with the system. So as most people say, Ipob, Ipob, but it's important to say that it is beyond Ipob, that is to say. There are many other groups, individuals, that feel aggrieved and want to express the grievances in their own ways. So that's why Haneja was pleading with all people who love Nigeria. You see, when I say we are the first, we are making of Nigeria, coming granted. And now the first is that in about 53 years after the Nigerian people were, they are not, years after they are not to be a good test of the logic in the governance terms of Nigeria. It is my belief that all these people have to reduce agitation and they have to speak to return in the South East. So like I said, a lot of people are aggrieved and that is the heightening insecurity of the, in the South East. Then let me quickly add that it is about a year ago, precisely about four, eight years ago, last year, that all this is certain. Before April 4, last year, the South East was considered the safest, the most secure, the most peaceful state zone in the whole Nigeria, until the connection terms of people was attacked at the way. And if you look at the way this place is located, you see that it is very very close to women house, very close to police and so on. So for any group who have the remote field capacity to overwhelm the police network there, and also to enter the correctional center and release the prisoners, then we think I do who has the capacity to do it. So all this is at the way level. It is difficult to say that those that have the most capacity to overwhelm the correctional center with all the secrecy that gets around. So all that is available, but we are not very clear how this is going to happen and for now, we are not going to try to slow down. It is also a sign of the failure of the secrecy system in Nigeria. It is also a long time it has been happening and it does not suggest to me that the secrecy network can help to overwhelm the miscreants that are going on carrying out these operations. So I made a call, rather a call to the federal government to improve on this secrecy network. You see how this can be solved today. Okay. Interesting. Dr. Alex Obonia, you are saying that the your organization has not released a statement officially, but we know what happened. It is documented. I am looking at pictures on my tablet right now of the burnt house. It looks like what can be described as a premeditated attack, you know, improvised explosive devices being detonated, petrol bombs being used. Would you agree with those experts who have also shared that same view to say that this is a premeditated attack, planned and coordinated? Yeah. I want to agree with you that it is premeditated and coordinated. But what I said is not clear. It is supposed to be a premeditated act, for us it is not yet clear. It was said the government is working hard and I am very sure they will come with their own reports. But Nagyam Police, for example, has also given out instructions that this group will be found out. So it is still coordinated, it is still that premeditated. There is also to that for now, as I am talking to you, we are not able to know who did it. We are not able to say this right, but to say this are the people that did it, this is where I am coming from, we don't have them now. Dr. Obonia, some people, some security experts that we talked to from time to time, are always out of the opinion that the chiefs and the traditional rulers of thought and even governments of certain states and communities where you have insecurity or acts of insecurity or security breaches know the people behind these things. If you are talking about mandatory, if you are talking about government attacks, if you are talking about terrorism, not a few security experts will always say that they know those behind this. Are you saying that no one in the entire Honeze and Igbo can put a finger to say these are the boys or the people who did this? Because they come from somewhere most likely in the southeast. That you know, it seems to me that all the specific rules of Honeze and Igbo, just like myself and my academic, I don't think I am giving to investigation. So, we wait for, we have division of labor, we wait for police, detainees, DSS and a lot of them to give us information about what happened. But do you have a leading within your group? I mean, whilst you are doing division of labor, do you know where these boys or these men or women, whoever they were, came from? Does anyone in the Honeze and Paratoz? All right. What would lead to such attack on the country home of such a revered personality, who is at the top of such an important organization, not just in the southeast, but in Nigeria? If you agree, it's premeditated, if you agree, it's also calculated and coordinated. What do you think could have been the reason, could have led to such a task? Because we know in the times past that Professor Obe also has had some statements, made some statements about so-called unknown gunmen, you know, about IPUB and all that ESN in the southeast. Is that indication as to what may have been the reason for this attack? Well, something that is very clear to everybody in Nigeria is that our youth, our youth, boys and girls in the southeast, they are almost infected with people of our class, by age group and in class. Whereas the other ones in the southeast are urging them to be patient, believing that which are the ones with Nigeria and the southeast, believing that maybe by 2023, the alienation and migration will stop, believing that people that are very petrified in this country, we read this together to see how the alienation towards the people will stop. So why the other, the younger ones are saying that what they are looking for is why good things, that is, that what they are looking for is not feasible. That is, this thing has started a long time that is likely to continue, that we are rather waiting for our clients thinking that the power will come to us, or they are very angry, even myself as I'm talking. So that is no longer what people call IPUB now. What I'm saying that they are putting proliferation agitation groups in the southeast who are agreeing. So what we do not know is that the group that did this, whether it is IPUB, this or that or that, or non-government or whatever, that is what we say we don't know. Then we know what is great that the people that did this are agreeing, premeditated, coordinated. We know. We also know that some of these are called from outside. They are disorganizing certain things to give them a bad name, to create a bad image for the certain. So that when you talk about certain things, you are there as people who are environment, people who are not organized to meet themselves and to an idea. So this is a possibility. Yeah, Dr. Obios, when you say Dr. Bonia, sorry, when you say it could have also groups from outside the southeast coming to lunch attacks in the southeast, which groups are you referring to? Honestly, you know, in politics, anything can happen. I want to tell you that some people are very happy that southeast is neglected now. I think that all this is happening in southeast so that they have, if they do their talking point in their own form of position of power, if they do their talking point, don't use what is happening in southeast. How do you think they can reason here? Look at what is happening. It is becoming their talking point, so they are happy. They got forced to do it. So who are these external forces or people you are talking about? That may be coming to the southeast to attack, you know, leading figures in the south. Who are these groups you are referring to? No, no, no. Like I said, I can normally have Bonia in southeast. I said it is possible in Tana, it is possible in Xana. So are you just speculating or are you conjecturing here? Is this in the realm of speculation? I don't understand. I said that many possibilities, including Xana, in Xana is a possibility. I told you that what happened in Correctional Center in Igmo was devoid of internal relative capacity, the need of devoid to overwhelm the Correctional, the integrity network in the Correctional Center, overwhelm them. The sky cover 1,700 image, whether they have the relative capacity to do so. All these are possibilities that they can come from outside. But we cannot say it now. And then what we are going to avoid it to do is to say that this is the people, this is the people that did it. So we take it to science and that's why we are issued of any kind. Perhaps maybe in a long, before long, this will come clear. But what take note, take for me, take home here is that people outside are not happy. And so long as one part of the country is sad, eventually the people inside will affect other parts of the country. That is why I made a good way to come together and think about how the marginalization and the elimination of the topic should talk. All right. Doc, doc, you were talking about marginalization. And you were talking about, I mean, yeah, you've talked about marginalization. And some would say that you're playing the same script again that has led to the current situation. In other words, some accused leaders, opinion leaders, traditional leaders, cultural leaders, social cultural leaders, the intelligentsia of Indigbo. You have the political leaders and religious leaders of massaging this situation until it became like this. Some have pointed out that the genesis of this situation was when someone came up and started shouting and talking and inciting people. And that all of you did nothing. None of you came out to condemn. None of you came out to say, keep quiet. This would lead us down. Whilst others were shouting that this is going to lead us down the road, we don't want to go. And you basically sat back whilst the Pandora's box was open. And now you are at the receiving end and suffering end, still crying marginalization. When you could have done something at the point when the Pandora's box was being open, and now it's too late, almost like what happened in the northeast. So the idea, for those who say these things, is that you're basically just enjoying what you encouraged. Now, except what was to be said to the leaders, about four years, five years ago, I was the president of 100 Indigbo in Enubu State, chapter, and the Funiawud was the president-general. As a point, the house of Funiawud was bombed. At the point, a girl of flesh was issued on Funiawud. Why was that? Because now, at the point, they wanted to stop election in Anambra State, where it would be another election. We have been urging them to stop, we are urging our youth to stop what they are doing. We have been urging them to stop in Anambra State, but we also urge them to stop what they are doing. If you go to Omani as a chairman, start a government forum, even opposed to the approach, even when there is the recognition of the alienation and migration. The point is that when you are talking to your children, the protest youth, sometimes you use the carrot and the stick mechanism. We have been talking. So if you go through the past remarks by the presidents of Anambra, you see that we are not but I do not buy it. But there is something very old here. But if you go to the police, the armed police and the secret architecture in Nigeria, you don't find anyone from the South East happening now. The secret is loaded in the hands of people from all sections of the country, a democratic society that has diverse ethnic groups, business, and the foundation for the agitation. So you find it difficult really to fucking wear. Okay. Indeed, it is a grim situation. And indeed the history we have recounted is true with the former Omani Zindigbo president in general, Nia Odo. But the situation right now in the South East and part of Nigeria is really grim. I mean, if those who have been traveling through that part of the country, either moving from state to state or moving from the South South to the South East or so, they report not seeing any security presence of either military or police or whatever. What they see is community vigilante who have become a law to themselves, who have blocked major roads, who are collecting rent and collecting money on the streets and are cocking guns at drivers and cars and threatening to shoot if you don't pay them money. I've had people drive through the South East who have reported seeing bodies. Someone told me they saw a human heart on the road. Some have been kidnapped. We have a situation on the border between a boundary between Abia State and Namras and Emo State, sorry. A lot is going on there. A lot of people have been kidnapped. Different parts of Emo State, including Okigwe, you have traditional rulers who can't stay at home. They've run away because their colleague traditional rulers have been kidnapped. One was killed last year. It's a grim situation. Now what's the solution to this? The current Anambra State governor, he said is one of those states that is going through a lot. Charles Solidore has said that he will dialogue with aggrieved parties. But we do not know some of these people. Like we heard a term on non-government. We're seeing in Oweri, for instance, messages being posted on people's gates on the streets telling them that unknown gunmen are coming. What's the solution to this very dire situation? Bearing in mind the fact that Governor Opuzo Dima was summoned by President Mohamed O'Hurray and he went to see him regarding the security situation, the President on Monday he was reported had approved the deployment of more security personnel, more arms, more ammunition to address the security situation in Emo State. This is something that has been done before. Whenever it's done, people of the South East come out to condemn the government asking, why are you bringing Operation Python down? So why are you bringing Operation Puff and all these things to our doorstep? We don't want it. But now we have a governor going to ask for it. Will this be a solution, this deployment of more security personnel, more arms and more ammunition? Will it be a solution to address the current situation? No. Let me answer it this way. On the thought of March, I was in Adiocuta. So, to celebrate with excellency, from a period of my idea, I traveled from Adiocuta to Lagos and traveled from Lagos to Adiocuta. And because of that reason, I didn't see any one checkpoint of any kind, whether police, army, or locality, or whatsoever. Adiocuta to Lagos. In any group, if we move from one local government to another, we find both police and soldiers and what has new. Not only that, they collect money from the motorists and they pass in the trip to America that's about to take action. He goes on making the trip in one hour or two hours. How this is not the way out? How to understand? Isn't it now? There is a statement that the presence of Nigeria can make now that the tribulation can go on in the whole of South East. From the pregnancy, there will be tribulation of the law. People will be dancing however the car is. And that will be about whether any other problem will be security. So, the more aggrieved they will become, whether you mark more of a critical point. Security is a collective consciousness. So when you do that, there will be happiness of everybody. So you are saying the deployment of more security. So you are saying the deployment of more security personnel, increased arms and ammunition in the South East will not solve the situation. Thank you very much. We have to go. Yes. When you go with good policy, there will be smiles on the face of most people. Thank you very much. Dr. C.A. Dozie Alex of Bonilla, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohane's and Igbo Worldwide. This has been a thrill talking to you again. And I hope to do some more talking with you as we look for peace and resolution to this situation in the South East. Thank you. His journey is life from Inukui in Southeast Nigeria. When we come back to do some more talking, President Buhari has been in a legacy state, of course, commissioning and inaugurating. We talked to an expert on the implications and prospects of these commissionings for the Nigerian economy. Please stay with us.