Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has warned the Nigerian Army to stay away from his parents’ burial ceremony.
The funeral of late HRH Eze Israel Okwu Kanu and his wife, late Ugoeze Sally Nmeme Okwu-Kanu has been scheduled to take place on 14th of February.
Ahead of the burial ceremony, the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the state ministry of works to ensure the immediate reconstruction of Eze I. O. Kanu road in Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area.
While IPOB members are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Mr Kanu for the burial ceremony, the Afaraukwu community in Umuahia North council area of Abia State, the home town of Mr Kanu, have handed out a warning to both the army and IPOB members to stay away, appealing for peace at the burial.
The President General, Afaraukwu community, Chief Ikechukwu Ndubueze, who briefed the media on the preparations for the burial, said the community wants a peaceful burial for their late monarch and his wife.
“What we are doing is a traditional burial. The entire Afaraukwu community wants a peaceful burial. We have been meeting with the security agencies in the state. What we are doing is not an IPOB affair, we are only burying our late monarch and his wife. They should allow us to bury our dead. Afaraukwu is a peaceful community.
“Some people don’t want us to have a peaceful burial. All we want to do is to give our monarch and his wife a peaceful burial.”
Like Nnamdi Kanu’s kinsmen, his younger brother urged the Nigerian Army to stay away from the burial and allow the community to bury their late monarch and his wife in a peaceful manner.
”They should stay away from the burial and allow us to bury our late parents. We don’t carry arms, we assure them we will conduct a peaceful burial. My parents have paid the supreme price, the Army should stay away.”
