The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Monday, explained that the ban of cow meat in the Southeast was not a declaration of war against the North.

IPOB explained that the ban became necessary to stop unprovoked attacks by Fulani herders in the Southeast.

Recall that the group had cautioned people of the Southeast against the consumption of Fulani cows in the Southeast.

Following the declaration, a coalition of Northern groups had accused IPOB of declaring war against the North.

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) through its Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, described IPOB’s directive as “a grave provocation and serious threat to northern commercial interests in the South-East and by extension, to the physical wellbeing of Northerners living as minorities among Igbo communities”.

The CNG, therefore, called for a total boycott of all businesses operated by the Igbo all over the North.

However, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said the comment of the Northern group has confirmed North’s agenda against the Southeast.

Powerful in a statement said, “Ban on cow meat is no declaration of war against the North but a necessary step to stop unprovoked attacks by Fulani herdsmen in Biafra land.”

“The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the latest ranting by a Fulani group of bigots against IPOB members and ESN operatives including entire people of Biafra living in the North. These irritants have called for the boycott of all Igbo products in the North as a retaliation for the proposed ban on cow meat in Biafra land with effect from April.

“We did not ban cow meats but those cows that were destroying our farms and those raping our mothers, wives and sisters in the farms, Biafrans can have foreign cows, not the ones that can bring Fulani terrorists in our territories.

“This threat by these misguided Northern groups called themselves Northern coalition group has further confirmed the belief that the atrocities of Fulani rapists herdsmen in Biafra and other parts of Nigeria are a common agenda of the North, particularly the Fulani disguised as herdsmen and cattle rearers in all parts of Nigeria and Biafra.

“How come these hypocrites never threatened Fulani herdsmen as they invade communities and kill farmers in Biafra land without any provocation? Now that we have decided to boycott and ban cow meat and instruct our people not to eat beef, Fulani now threatens us with war because they think we are vulnerable and weak to kill at random we are doing this so that we can have peace in our communities, the real sponsors of the on-going genocide and numerous deaths in our land have surfaced.

“However, we are waiting for Fulani terrorists to carry out their threat against Igbo traders and business interests in the North come April when the ban will take effect. They should remember and understand that the era of intimidation of Igbo people in Nigeria has gone. Nobody has the monopoly of anything anymore against our people. If they do, they will regret their actions because days have gone for that rubbish.

“Besides, the genocidal attacks by herdsmen against innocent communities in Biafra land will soon be gone, as for the cows they bring to us are defiled and we won’t allow it again here in Biafraland. Evidence abounds of viral videos where these animalistic elements have illicit and abominable sex with cows. Such is a taboo and an abomination in our land and remains sacrilege in our culture and traditions. Our God abhors it and our land does not tolerate such evil. Never again shall we allow Biafra land to become a dumping ground for defiled cows.

“The Sharia Police (Hishba), destroyed and keeps destroying many businesses in the North especially alcohol and hotels majority of which are owned by Igbo businessmen, and the hell has never been let loose in retaliation and these heartless beasts in human forms are still collecting VAT from alcohol and hotels Nigeria government did not say anything about that.

“What is more than a declaration of war by the Fulani than that? Has the federal government or any Northern State Government at any time said anything against this barbarity? How can the Northern coalition maintain criminal silence over such atrocity but cry foul and threaten Armageddon over simple ban on defiled animals that have been the excuse for unprovoked attacks and wanton destruction of lives and property of innocent Biafrans by Fulani herdsmen.”