The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has sounded the alarm over alleged threats to his life, revealing that he has been receiving menacing calls and messages from unknown individuals.
Addressing journalists at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu, Chief Iwuanyanwu condemned the disturbing trend of targeting and vilifying leaders who have dedicated themselves to serving the Igbo community.
Chief Iwuanyanwu disclosed that the threats escalated to the extent of one caller admitting to being recruited to burn down his residence.
Expressing concern over the safety of himself and other Ohanaeze NEC members, Chief Iwuanyanwu decried the recent dissemination of false information aimed at discrediting him and the organisation.
His words: “I am addressing Igbo people all over the world, that if this kind of thing is not nipped in the bud, it is going to be very disastrous. This thing didn’t start today, Joe Irukwu, Ralph Uwaechie were all maligned. As they went after Nwodo, they bombed his house.
“Those of us who were close to Obiozor, you know he was a very nice diplomat. It’s this kind of thing that killed him. He’s not like people like us, I served in the army, I have thick skin.
“These people have carried this too far. Sometime ago, I got some information that some people are coming to burn my house. That people said they were hired to come and burn my house. Some people also said they were hired to come and kill me.
“All sorts of stories like that. And I started asking myself: what is it that I have done that would warrant that my house should be burnt; that I should be killed?
“I told those people that they shouldn’t worry. Fortunately, one of them said that the person they hired said that I trained his brother in the university.
“You know I had a scholarship scheme that trained over 5000 young people in the university. So, he said his brother was trained by me and so he cannot burn my house.
“I feel sad that I should be confronted by some of these types of spectre of threats just because I want to serve my people.
“I have looked at my past career and see how God blessed me. At 82 when I’ve retired, for me now to come back to serve my people and to find myself completely engulfed in this type of mess with Isiguzoro.
“I’m somebody who is dogged and can’t easily be pushed around. God has given me the heart and determination to serve my people.”
