Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide has called on soldiers to leave Orlu, Imo State.

The President General of the group, Onyeachonam Onuorah, who called for calm, appealed to soldiers to vacate the town.

The group’s statement read in part, “It is condemnable for Governor Hope Uzodinma to lock up people in their houses for weeks without making provisions that will cushion the effects of hunger, health challenges and other untold hardship the imposed curfew has caused in the affected communities.

“We hereby caution IPOB and MASSOB to stop making unguarded statements that end up endangering the lives of Ndigbo.

“We are not at war with the Nigerian Government and those instigating actions capable of degenerating the already tensed situations in the country to civil war should desist from such with immediate effect.

“Why are the South East governors dying in silence? The silence of our South-East governors is no longer golden. You cannot provide your people with security, you cannot take a decision and stand by it.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide will demand for the resignation of all the South East governors since they have all resolved to die in silence. Some are even abroad and imposing curfew from there, this madness must stop.”

Governor Hope Uzodimma had in January imposed curfew in 10 local government areas of the state after a clash between security operatives and members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a security apparatus set up by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The clash happened after some soldiers were attacked for allegedly assaulting some youths in the town.

The soldiers were said to have returned later at night, only to meet stiff resistance from personnel of the IPOB security outfit.