1966 coup not Igbo’s – South East groups

Civil Society Coalition, CSOs, in the South East has warned Northern youths against referring to the 15th January, 1966 coup plot as “Igbo coup.”


The CSOs gave the warning in response to a letter to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo by Northern Youths.

According to the groups, the continued reference to the coup as “Igbo coup” is the continuation of “pogom -inducing propaganda of some northern elements.”

They also faulted claims in the letter that the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu visited the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, following his release from prison.

The groups stressed that contrary to the claim by their Northern counterparts, it was the IPOB leader who visited Ekweremadu and the South East Senate caucus to thank them for their role in his release.

In a statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi and Barrister Florence Akubilo, the CSOs described the letter as “dishonest and factually defective.”

They, however, commended the Northern youths for recognising the rights of Nigerians to self-determination in line with the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights of 1981 and United Nations Covenants on Civil & Political Rights and Economic, Social & Cultural Rights of 1976.

The statement reads in part, “The continued reference to that unfortunate event as an Igbo coup is a continuation of the pogrom-inducing propaganda of some northern elements.

“It is borne out of deep-seated hatred and vendetta and evocation of genocidal sentiments against the Igbo race.”