Group Warns: “Don’t Bring Or Bury Ifeanyi Ubah’s Body In Igboland

By Akinwale Kasali

“There will be tragic consequences if you do, Group insists”

In a viral video on WhatsApp, a middle aged man who did not identify himself, but signed off as “IPOB Eze” has warned against bringing the body of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah to  his community, Nnewi, or any other part of Igboland for  burial.

The spokesman of the Group identified himself with Simon Ekpa, the Finland-based self proclaimed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s disciple but who has since been estranged from the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, a Group led by Kanu. Kanu, the IPOB Leader, has been in the captive of the Federal Government since 2021. The FG is prosecuting him for sundry issues including Treasonable felony, a charge the Court of Appeal has since discharged him of.

Giving reasons for why Ubah’s body must not be buried anywhere in Igboland, the person who spoke on the viral video alleged that it was Ubah that sold Nnamdi Kanu out to the Federal Government.

At the time of Kanu’s rendition from Nairobi in 2021, rumours were strong that Ubah not only sold him out, but that Ubah’s private jet was used to bring Kanu back to Nigeria.

However, it is an allegation since debunked by Ubah. He said he had no hands in Kanu’s fate and the aircraft used was not his. He said the false allegations were made against him by political enemies to ruin him before the Igbo.

Proof: Months before Ubah passed away, Mazi Kanu’s wife had acknowledged and appreciated Ubah for facilitating her visit to her to see her husband at his detention centre, a request she emphasized, denied her  until Ubah weighed in.

But that effort by Ubah cut no ice with those who propagate the allegations against him. That belief certainly triggered the warning, allegedly by Ekpa’s Group that Ubah committed a sacrilege and must never be buried in Igboland.

The speaker warned that if Ubah’s body is brought back  to Nnewi for burial, then, Nnewi will be reduced to something “worse than Orlu and Somali” security-wise. He also warned that if buried in Nnewi, his body would be exhumed and re-buried in an evil forest. He also warned Governor Chukwuma Soludo against burying Ubah’s body in Nnewi, and suggested that he be buried in the North or South-west part of the Country.

Following is the full text of the video.

“If Senator Ifeanyi Ubah is buried in Nnewi, Anambra State, Somali, Orlu in Imo state will be better than Nnewi.

“The Biafra Liberation Army will come after you all, and all of you will abandon your businesses in Nnewi, and Biafra will dig the grave of Ifeanyi Ubah and we take his body away and go and bury him in the evil forest, because he committed evil.

“He can never kidnap Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and you want to bury him in Biafra Land.

“His Excellency, Simon Ekpa, will do everything possible to destroy Nnewi. Biafra Liberation Army will do everything possible to destroy Nnewi.

“Let him be buried in the North or West,  at least we are one Nigeria, we don’t want him in Biafra land.

“Share this voice message. I am not happy, am saying these things with anger; respect  yourselves Nnewi people. Do your business in peace. Nobody is looking for your trouble, don’t look for the trouble of Biafra Liberation Army. Don’t look for the trouble of Biafra Government in exile.

“You are warned. Am one of Biafra Government. We don’t want Ifeanyi Ubah to be buried in Nnewi, because he destroyed Biafrans, he killed a lot. You committed a lot of atrocities not only in Nnewi, but also to Coscharis. He wanted to kill him, his own brother.  He has committeed a lot of atrocities. He needs to answer it.

“Wherever he is buried, he must be chained for life.

“Nobody should bury Ifeanyi Ubah in Nnewi. Governor Soludo should be warned, he should be severely warned.”

However, not a few people have dismissed the threat as “scaremongering”, and wondered how Ubah’s body would be so disrespected and buried outside Igboland.

They pointed out that Ubah brought quite some development to Nnewi. A known philanthropist while alive, he provided financial succour to a number of the underprivileged, and especially, widows. He, also, provided employment and empowerment to the youths, and fought insecurity in his native Nnewi. Ubah, also owned a football club which kept the Youths busy.

Months before his death, Senator Ubah had escaped an assassination attack around  Enugukwu when his convoy was ambushed by gunmen, in the afternoon,  and at least, seven people, including his staff and security personnel lost their  lives. His life was saved by the bullet proof SUV which he rode in.

Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, businessman, entrepreneur, was the founder of Capital Oil. He was the Senator for Anambra South, where he, effectively, performed well.

Ubah passed in London on July 27, 2024 of alleged cardiac arrest. He was aged 52 years when he died, and was seriously preparing to contest for the Anambra Governorship election under the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2025.