The Presidency has condemned the attack on a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, by some members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), in Germany.
Yaahoo Journalist had reported earlier that the IPOB members attacked Ekweremadu in Nuremberg, Germany on Saturday, August 17.
It was learned that the IPOB members attacked Ekweremadu during the annual cultural festival of the Ndigbo, apex social-cultural group in the south-east.
Speaking after the ugly incident through Uche Anichukwu, his media aide, Ekweremadu assured Ndigbo and his supporters across the nation that he was safe.
His words: “I attended the Second Annual Cultural Festival and Convention organised by Ndi-Igbo Germany in Nurnberg today where I was billed to give a keynote address along with the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who, however, could not make it eventually,” he said in the statement.
“I attended the Second Annual Cultural Festival and Convention organised by Ndi-Igbo Germany in Nurnberg today where I was billed to give a keynote address along with the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who, however, could not make it eventually,” Ekweremadu said in the statement.
“I was given a resounding welcome by Ndigbo in Germany and everything went smoothly until some men, who identified themselves as IPOB members stormed the venue and began to complain about the killings in the South East, stressing that there would be no Igbo event at the venue.
“I tried to engage them, but when they became unruly, I had to leave the venue. The organisers also invited the police and I was accompanied out of the venue,” Ekweremadu said.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said some of the culprits who perpetrated the act had been apprehended.
Dabiri-Erewa urged the German government and law enforcement agencies to ensure the suspected IPOB members face the consequences of their actions.
“It is also shamefully pathetic that an event which was nobly put together by the Ndi-Igbo community in Germany whose members make up the majority of Nigerians living in Germany, to amongst other things provide a forum for the Diasporans and various stakeholders to network and to facilitate a better cooperation between German and Nigerian businesses, ended up in such a disgraceful manner,” she said.
