An appeal was made on Wednesday by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to the Italian government to cease arms and jets sales to Nigeria.
The weapons supplied to Nigeria are reportedly utilized against unarmed Igbo individuals in the Southeast region of the country, according to IPOB.
Spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, highlighted the human rights violations by Nigeria’s security forces in the Southeast.
In a statement by Powerful, it was mentioned, “The plan of the Nigerian government to procure around 20 additional fighter jets from Italy for the Nigerian Air Force raises concerns. Why is the Italian government considering the sale of fighter jets to Nigeria for deployment against innocent and peaceful Igbo communities, akin to what the U.S. did in 2021? This deal must be aborted if the Italian government values the lives of indigenous Nigerian people, as it poses a threat to millions residing in the Eastern region (Igboland).
“IPOB implores the Italian government to halt the jet sales to Nigeria due to their belief that Nigeria’s fight against terrorism is a facade. Italy should not fall prey to the deceit of the Nigerian government. Supplying arms to Nigeria indirectly supports human rights abuses and violations.
“Civilized nations such as Italy and its citizens should not endorse a government engaging in grave violations of human rights. They should be cautious of the falsehood propagated by the Nigerian government and its Air Force, who claim to combat terrorists but are, in reality, targeting innocent people out of ethnic bias and greed.
“A plea is made to the Italian Prime Minister, Ms. Giorgia Meloni, to impose an arms embargo on the Nigerian government for its track record of bombing civilian populations and breaching human rights. An agreement was made between the Nigerian government and airforce with Italy for the supply of 24 aircraft, with 6 aircrafts to be delivered every six months, set to commence soon.
“IPOB members worldwide urge all civilized nations to cease supplying ammunition to Nigeria, as it indirectly funds groups like Boko Haram and other terrorists in Northern Nigeria.”