How to actualise Biafra without war By Chukwuma Egemba

In 1999, the flame of fire for Biafra restoration was re-started with the formation of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, Uche Okwukwu, Prince Orjiako and others with the aim of securing the resurgence of Biafra independence and sovereignty. Since then, the flame had spread into a wild and unstoppable fire, thanks to the efforts of thousands of Biafrans with unquenchable appetite for freedom and justice. The setting up of Radio Biafra London (RBL) in 2009 – the brain child of Sam Ume (Tagbo Umeasiegbu) and actively supported by Nnamdi Kanu, Dr. Chukwuma Egemba, Nwada Amarachi Okpara, Uche Mefor and Kingsley Kanu added more fuel to the burning wild fire, making it unquenchable and unstoppable. Today, the forces of freedom and justice, which Biafra represents, have set it on collision course with the government of Nigeria, which sees the resurgence of Biafra as a threat to its national unity and territorial integrity. In fact, Nigerian government sees Biafra more threatening than Boko Haram that had physically taken over sizeable chunk of its territory and killed hundreds of security operatives and innocent civilians, hence the efforts of successive governments to out-do each other in repressing and suppressing Biafra restoration efforts.

Unfortunately, the more highhanded and aggressive they become in trying to diminish the fighting spirit of Biafran activists, the more determined and aggressive we become in fighting to bitter end for our survival, freedom and justice. The recent and ongoing tsunami of protests around the world against the arrest, continued detention and mocked trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the Director of RBL; imprisonments, extra judicial killings and police brutality against Biafra activists are testament to the fact that the match for Biafra restoration is unstoppable until victory is achieved. It is very unfortunate, criminally indicting and unacceptable that many innocent people had been killed needlessly by Nigerian security operatives and often buried in mass graves. These callous and cowardly actions had not diminished and cannot diminish the quest of Biafrans from freedom.

However, a tactical and strategic retreat is necessary and should be encouraged now. It is not a surrender or sign of weakness. Even in battles, generals make tactical and strategic retreat and withdrawal in order to re-strategise and regroup for further attack. It is clear that Biafraland has been fully militarised with more mechanised formations being deplored in different parts of our land, especially in Aba and its environs. Former Boko Haram prisoners and terrorist had been let loose, armed and fully incorporated into the army and police and sent to Biafra territories with clear instruction to shoot at site Biafran activists and protesters, no matter how peaceful they may appear. Besides, we have chief murderous ‘security’ officers at federal and state levels, who had openly declared their hatred for Biafra and the Biafran cause. Therefore, it will be unwise to give these blood thirsty murderers further excuses to murder more of our young and innocent people. Tactical retreat is not surrender.

Again, I have argued and will continue to argue that armed struggle had run out of fashion and no long constitutes first options in self-determination in the 21st century. I have dedicated a considerable part of my adult life for the struggle to restore Biafra. During this time, I have never advocated for the use of violence as the first or preferred option. I make no apology for this stand and will hold it strongly until I am proved wrong. All evidence from all sources within all areas of Biafra points to the fact that they want the restoration of Biafra, but do not want violence and war as means of restoring their freedom and sovereignty. It will not be wise to work against the wish of the people.

It is on this premise that I am openly and unequivocally calling for the suspension of all street protests and any gathering that can be construed as such. My most worry and concern is that the protests are organised and led remotely – with the organisers – not only invincible, but also not taking responsibility for their action. This is wrong and must not be encouraged or supported. Obviously, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, and the state governors in the states where Biafrans are killed will be held responsible for their murderous actions because they gave the orders and are the Chief Security Officers in their respective jurisdictions (at national and state levels). In the same manner, any person or persons, who overtly and covertly instigate innocent people to be murdered are equally culpable. Obviously, those concerned in misguiding innocent people and indirectly encouraging their murder know themselves and I know them.

I have purposely chosen not to name names here for obvious reasons, it is not out of fear of intimidation or death. Some of those involved know me too well, know how to get to me and where I live, so fear is out of it. They also know that I have contacted them personally and directly on this matter. Let me make it clearer, instigation of murder is a criminal offence.

Inasmuch as I want Biafra, prepared to commit my last breath to make the restoration of our freedom and sovereignty a reality, I do not hate Nigeria and do not wish Nigeria dead. At the end of the day, whatever that will remain of Nigeria after Biafra will be our closest neighbour, our biggest political and economic partner. Czech and Slovakia co-exist after the demise of Czechoslovakia; South Sudan did not wish Sudan dead during the pursuit of their independence; East Timor did not seek to destroy Indonesia, neither did war break out in the former Soviet Union that metamorphosed into 15 independent and sovereign states.

Oh, by the way, did black South Africans drive the white minority into the Atlantic after apartheid? Why then should any sane person or group wish Nigeria dead in order to restore Biafra? It does not make sense, both in time and space. Where then is the mantra of the Biafran people: ‘Live and let live’ that had sustained us for thousands of year? If we want to live in freedom, we must not only allow others to live, but live in peace with them. Is that not common sense? The processes, procedures, terms and conditions of self-determination of indigenous people do not and cannot include the annihilation of another people or nation. You do not have to preach hatred to prove your point and support for Biafra!

Consequently, the question of Biafra is not about war, it is not about destroying other states/nations, it is not about hating other peoples, neither is it about threat and counter threat. It is all about careful and coordinated efforts; it is about synthesising individual, group, media campaigns into a structured and systematic action plan with tightened loose ends; it is about carefully cultivating and courting friends inside and outside, in low and high places; it is about strategically and tactically using your limited resources to maximum benefit of the struggle; it is about laying a solid grassroots economic base within the confinement of space and scope available to us; it is about building a solid political base and alliances within the confinement of current political realities; it is about changing and reshuffling plans and strategies to suit local, national and international conditions and realities and above all, it is about creating operational base. Without these, in any order, we will be punching and blowing hot air, wasting time and resources and alienating our support base. This is what we have done for more than 15 years and it is not sustainable going forward.

War or violent path to Biafra restoration is and cannot be a viable first option for several reasons:

· Local: There are no favourable local operational base for such action. We don’t have full and exclusive control of any territory from where a meaningful and successful operation could be launched. Our local population had suffered and still suffering from imposed socio-economic hardship, which will make such operation very unpopular and will add to their hardship. Violence will be hard and difficult to sell to our local support base.

• National: Nigerian government is still in full control of our territory. They have made no secret of their intentions to crush and frustrate any Biafran-led uprising, hence our land had been fully militarised and effectively under siege. It is also using series of overt and covert policies to strangulate the people – thus making any violent undertaking dangerous and unattractive.

·International: The international community will not welcome or support any additional violent uprising from any part of the world now. There are more than enough to contend with at the moment: Western engineered crisis in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya, resulting in the rise and spread of Islamic terrorism and unprecedented refugee and migrant crisis in Europe and internally displaced persons elsewhere; problem associated with Russian territorial ambitions in the former in Ukraine and other former Soviet republics; internal aid and support organisations are overwhelmed and stretched due to some of the above crisis and to a lesser extent, the elections and inevitable change of administration in the US. Therefore, additional violent uprising will receive little or no support. In fact, the international community is not prepared for another conflict situation.

These and other unfavourable conditions, including the intentional and near total media boycott of our struggle makes any form of violent approach as first option inappropriate and unnecessary at the present moment. However, I have not, will not and will never advocate for total negation of violence in our or any other self-determination struggle as a last option, when all other options have failed, seen to have failed, as a self-defence mechanism and seen to have been forced on us.

We are in the business of creating and building a nation state, a future sovereign member of the international political system, not an umbrella organisation or a town union, neither are we in a popularity or personality contest. There is too much dust in the air now. It must settle and clear for us to make sense of the realities of our situation right now.

Things cannot be the same going forward. Whatever happens, Biafra is supreme! Interacting with our sympathisers, activists and supporters at base, one thing is frequent, reoccurring and constant: War is not and cannot be first option/choice in our restoration efforts; we, the Biafran people alone, will determine the direction, success and failure of our struggle. The successes and difficulties we had experienced thus far are not commensurate to our efforts. We could have achieved more successes with less difficulty if some of the challenges outlined above were addressed or factored into our actions. Combination of individuals placing themselves far and above Biafra (selfishness and egoism), group mentality, hero worshiping, internal division, absence of central institution and lack of coordination of activities resulted in wasting years of efforts and valuable resources. These must change for us to make progress.

Nevertheless and regardless, the success or failure of whatever option, tactics and strategy we adopt will largely depend on us – the Biafran people, the activists, supporters and our leadership. Buhari and his government’s highhandedness, oppression and repression will not and can never stop Biafra restoration efforts. They can only delay and prolong it, but in the end, our structured plans and coordinated action will overcome them and guarantee victory for a free and sovereign Biafra state.

– Egemba, frontline activist and advocate for Biafra, wrote in from London, United Kingdom.

Biafra:Kanu seeks help from the British Government

Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has petitioned the British Government over his incarceration on alleged treasonable felony by the Department of State Security Services (DSS).

A five-page petition titled Nnamdi Kanu: A victim of travesty of justice and a call for the British Government to be on the watch was signed by Kanu’s counsel, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

Ejiofor also attached copies of press conferences on March 18, 2016, certificates of registration of IPOB and Radio Biafra, in the United Kingdom and registration certificates of IPOB in other countries.

The petition read: “We are counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the 1st defendant in the above captioned criminal charge, hereinafter refers to as “our client”, and on whose authority and firm instruction, we formally bring to the attention of the British Government the deliberate design by the Nigerian Government to subvert the course of justice in the above criminal trial.

“It is repeating the obvious to state that our client is a full British citizen, by virtue of which position he is entitled to all rights, privileges and protections, guaranteed under British Laws and conventions.

“We are, therefore, constrained in the circumstance, to formally notify the British Government vide this medium, of our well informed reservations, and apprehension, that our client is undergoing persecution in the charge above referred, and deliberate design by the persecutors to frustrate every effort of the defence team aimed at giving our client a fair trial…

“It is, therefore, our humble expectation that the demonstration of palpable commitment by the British Government will, to a larger extent neutralise concerns and fears raised by the remark under reference.

“We most humbly request the British authority to begin a race against time, for more noticeable impact in this matter” the petition stated.

Meanwhile, the General Coordinator of M21 World Christian Emergency Project, Prophet Godfrey Otubuochi Chidiebere Gbujie said no one can stop the realisation of the state of Biafra as God has already sanctioned its existence.

“God has already established a covenant with Ndigbo and so, no man can stop the state of Biafra because he has already sanctioned its existence,” Gbujie said.

NIGERIA:IPOB demands ICC probe into alleged killing of pro-Biafrans in Aba

The Indigenous People of Biafra has rejected investigations initiated by the Nigerian Army into the alleged extrajudicial killing of unarmed Biafra activists in Aba, Abia State.

About 10 IPOB members were reportedly killed when troops opened fire on them during the agitation for the release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in February.

There were also reports that about 30 other members of the group sustained serious injuries during the incident.

The Amnesty International had condemned the development, accusing the army of ‘excessive use of force’ against the pro-Biafran activists.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, had on Thursday in Enugu, said the army had commenced investigations into the alleged extrajudicial killings.

However, reacting to the development, IPOB said the army lacked the moral authority to conduct a credible investigation into the incident.

In a statement jointly signed by its spokesmen, Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya, IPOB said the International Criminal Court should investigate the extrajudicial killings.

The Biafra secessionist group noted that the army was the ‘aggressor’ in the matter, a situation which it said could lead to ‘conflict of interest’ in the investigations.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra do hereby demand the convocation of an impartial investigative team and not the group hurriedly set up by the Army Chief considering that the Army is the aggressor in this case.

“We further assert that the only credible entity which can carry out in-depth investigation is the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“The so-called investigating team arranged by the Chief of Army Staff is fundamentally riddled with conflict of interest and lacks the moral compass to conduct quality investigation in a case of this magnitude.

“Therefore, the United Nations Human Rights Commission and other allied organisations should intervene and work with the ICC to conduct a thorough investigation now that the Nigerian Army through Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has confessed that they actually shot and killed unarmed Biafrans at Aba on the February 9, 2016,” IPOB said.

IPOB added that Buratai’s revelation that the Army was investigating the incident amounted to a confession that Biafra activists were extrajudicially killed in Aba.

It would be recalled that, while fielding questions from journalists on Thursday after addressing officers and men of the 82 Division, in Enugu, Buratai had said the Army was investigating the alleged extrajudicial killings.

“We are already investigating it. When such incidents involve the loss of lives, we usually conduct an investigation – that is our procedure,” the army chief said.

Buratai, however, said he believed soldiers could not have opened fire on the activists without provocation.

He said, “We have our rules of engagement. The troops cannot just open fire.”

Will shooting unarmed Igbo protesters solve the problem?

BY CLEMENT UDEGBE

There is a lot of trepidation in the nation since July 2015. Those who would normally speak up against wrong moves or decisions by government are more careful for many reasons; Some kept quiet because all it takes is for someone to craft a petition against any one perceived to be anti-government, to either the police, EFCC or the DSS alleging one thing or the other, and the vultures will be released to swoop and make a mess of that victim.

Some look the other way, because they live in glass houses, and will not throw stones, while many are still bemused, and confused, hoping that what we are seeing today is not true. But people don’t stop to drive their vehicles because there was an accident, just like the Igbos say that they won’t reject eating the cocoyam because it causes some discomfort in the buttocks.

The question therefore is; When will this government speak out against shooting at un-armed peaceful protesters? Or better put, Why do they shoot at and kill unarmed protesters or agitators under this government?

Towards the end of last year, a clash between the Shiite Muslim group and the entourage of the Chief Of Army Staff in Kaduna, left several members of the sect dead, and till date they accuse government or the army of burying many of their members in a mass grave.

Early this year in Aba, some security personnel comprising the police and military shot at unarmed protesters and killed a good number of them, and a civil society group has alleged that some 13 persons were buried in a shallow mass grave along Aba Port Harcourt Road.

The group called on Abia State government to investigate the matter, and do something about those decomposed corpses.

Some may reason that their call is more like giving the head a hard knock, when it was the buttocks that fowled the air.

In other words, why should poor Abia State government clean up the mess of the Federal Government.

The fact remains that these are the bodies of Igbo sons and daughters who were gunned down because they were protesting or agitating for Biafra, and it is the responsibility of Abia State government to look into the matter, obtain the records of these bodies and give them a decent mass burial, after all we say in Igbo land, that what the living owes the dead is to give it a decent burial.

Such a mass grave will likely serve three purposes namely, the government will have the record of those killed, and buried there, the mass grave will serve as a reminder for Igbo youths not to expose themselves to be killed by their haters in the future, and it will provide the relations of such victims the answers they seek, and help their healing processes.

President Mohammadu Buhari announced in Qatar last week, that the Federal Government will not tolerate Biafra, which is a known fact, but who knows tomorrow, these ones may become the heroes of Biafra, if God says so.

The Federal and state governments and their officials are not God, neither are they in the future, thus, Ndigbo must keep records of all atrocities by government forces.

If someone told General Buhari in 1984, that he would be President 31 years after, he would not have believed, but that is God for you. This very Biafra that we are toying with today, may come to pass, because no one knows the mind of God and tomorrow.

If Biafra is indeed an idea, no amount of shooting and killing will be able to stop it.

In Igbo land, we say that when a man shares gift among his people, you will know whom he hates.

Since July 2015, newspapers have reported that over 200 Igbo youths have been mowed down between Onitsha, Aba, and Port Harcourt, by direct bullets from the military and police forces, and from stampedes that followed poor crowd management, that is typical of our forces in Nigeria.

These are people who are trained, clothed, paid and maintained from the tax of Nigerians including those that have been killed, to protect their lives and the territorial integrity of Nigeria. The disheartening aspect is that these governments, depend majorly on money from oil which is found mostly in the South South and South East, Igbo Land, yet they find pleasure in shooting at unarmed youths because they are protesting or agitating.

A protest is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a strong and formal objection, especially one by a group, or a collective gesture of disapproval. While it described an act of agitation as the excitement of public feeling by discussion, debate etc., and so, whether we call it agitation or protest, the purpose is to elicit public discussion and debate.

If the purpose of the agitations is to elicit discussion and debate on the issue of Biafra, should those youths be shot at and killed, for exercising their constitutional right of freedom of expression?

If in this country, the future lies in the hands of the youth, should our youth be killed in this manner, and nothing is done to prevent such occurrence by punishing the culprits?

If the President, the Military hierarchy and Police, have sworn to uphold the constitution of Nigeria, should the unconstitutional extra judicial killings in Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt not be investigated and the culprits brought to book? What message is the Federal Government passing on to Ndigbo by reeling out warnings of how they will deal with agitators without doing anything to stem the rise in the agitation?

Can anyone be taller than one person, and at the same be shorter than the same person?

We need caution about this country we call Nigeria, because until the rotten tooth is pulled out, the mouth must chew with caution. When we change the way we look at Biafra , then we look at proper change.

The fear of being different should not prevent President Buhari from seeking new ways to solve the problems of Biafra.

NIGERIA:AT LEAST 2 MILLION NIGERIANS WERE KILLED IN THE BIAFRA WAR - BUHARI

President Mohammadu Buhari has reiterated that Nigeria would not tolerate the state of Biafra.

The president spoke against the backdrop of the renewed agitation for the actuation of the republic of Biafra.

Speaking to Al Jazeera during his last visit to Qatar, president Buhari recalled that over two million lives were lost during the Nigeria civil war between 1967 to 1970 on the demand of a Biafran state.

He said “At least two millions Nigerians were killed in the Biafra war. And for somebody to wake up may be they weren’t born. Looking for Biafra after two millions people were killed, they are joking with the security and Nigeria won’t tolerate Biafra.”

Also speaking on the state of Nigerian economy and the pressure to devalue the Naira, president Buhari stated that Nigeria was prepared to go against the advice on International Monetary Fund, IMF in that regard.

He maintained that the devaluation of the Naira would not pay Nigeria, saying the country was purely an import nation.

He also stated their despite the plummeting crude oil prices in the international market, it would pay Nigeria to remain in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.

“If it is against our national interest, why can’t we go against the IMF advice?” Buhari asks.

“We were unable to diversify our economy, hence we are much more disadvantaged by the lower oil prices. Nigeria will make the necessary sacrifice to remain in OPEC”, he said.

Asked to comment on the anti-terrorism war, the president headed a sigh of relief that no local government area of Nigeria was under the control of the Boko haram insurgents as was the case when he assumed office in May 2015.

Shell in fresh Soup

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell came under renewed scrutiny on Wednesday over its environmental record in Nigeria after lawyers brought fresh claims of damage caused by spills to a London court. British legal firm Leigh Day has filed two cases at the High Court in a bid to force the Anglo-Dutch energy major to clean up damage caused in the communities of Ogale and Bille in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s main oil-producing region, and provide compensation.
In Bille, the lawyers hope to prove that Shell is liable for failing to protect its pipelines from damage caused by third parties, which, they said, could mark a “significant expansion” in the firm’s liability. A 2011 report by the United Nations Environment Programme found that decades of oil pollution in Ogoniland region, where Ogale is located, may require the world’s biggest ever clean-up. Leigh Day says that Shell, historically Nigeria’s largest producer, has failed to act on the report despite its promises — a claim that was also levelled last year by Amnesty International.
The lawyers argued in a press statement that the 40,000-strong Ogale community continues to live with “chronic levels” of land and water pollution, which has had a devastating impact on its farming and fishing. In hearings expected to take place later this year, Shell will argue that the two cases should be heard in Nigeria, not in Britain, according to a spokesman for the company’s Nigerian subsidiary, SPDC. He added that both Bille and Ogale are areas “heavily impacted” by oil theft, sabotage and illegal refining, activities which Shell has long argued are the main causes of pollution in the Niger Delta.
In Ogoniland, he said the company was acting on the UN report through an 18-month clean-up and remediation programme agreed last year with the Nigerian government and community members. Chima Williams, of Environmental Rights Action (ERA)/Friends of the Environment, a Nigerian environmental rights lobby group, said the response to the UN report did not address the issue of compensation.
“This is why the London suit is very important at this point. It will bridge the gap in terms of helping the people of Ogoniland to get off the ground and have their lives back,” he told AFP. Shell agreed in January 2015 to pay more than $80 million to the Nigerian fishing community of Bodo for two serious oil spills in 2008, following a three-year legal battle brought by Leigh Day in London.
A Dutch court also ruled in December that four Nigerian farmers demanding compensation and a clean-up in four heavily-polluted Niger Delta villages can bring a case against the energy giant in the Netherlands.

BIAFRA: Pope Francis urges dialogue, negotiation.

SOURCE : VANGUARD NEWS

POPE FRANCIS

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday, released the text of the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis address to thousands of IPOB members who gathered last Sunday at the Vatican City for the weekly Angelus, saying the Pope has cautioned their oppressors, the Nigerian government and its military and their agents to repent and stop killing Biafra agitators or face the wrath of God that will be catastrophic. The text of the Catholic Pontiff address which was made available to Vanguard by the IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful, disclosed that the Pope advised the Biafra agitators and the crowd that gathered at St Peter’s Square from the balcony of the Apostolic Palace to be patient in all they are doing, that God’s patience towards their oppressors is without limit but the time to end their oppression is now.

 IPOB quoted the Pontiff to have said that “it is never too late to convert an oppressor to change from his evil activities, including murderous activities, but it is urgent, it is now, let them begin today to change from their oppression and killing of innocent people through all sorts of violent means, including the jack boot of the military.” According to the pro Biafra group, the Pope spoke on “invincible patience,” explaining how God’s “unyielding concern for sinners” should provoke patience in us, asking if we have thought of God’s patience. “Have you thought of His unyielding concern for sinners, how this should provoke patience among people, including governments, instead of killing people on slightest provocation or no provocation at all, let alone people who are protesting against unfair treatments or for something they feel is their right?” IPOB said the Pope told them that God does not permit tragedies to punish sins but rather, that Jesus uses warnings that sinners will perish if they do not repent, adding that if the oppressors of peaceful agitators like the Biafra agitators in Nigeria fail to repent, the wrath of God will be catastrophic against them. The Pontiff according to IPOB, welcomed the need to firmly and unreservedly focus on negotiations and dialogue between governments and agitators all over the world including Biafra agitators and the government of Nigeria, like it was done in Syria which has brought the current ceasefire in the country, involving government and rebel forces. “I invite all to pray so that this window of opportunity can give relief to the suffering people and agitators and encourage the necessary humanitarian aid, and open the way to dialogue and much desired peace” he said.

 Planned deportation

In another development, the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has condemned the plan by the Norwegian government to illegally deport Lotachukwu Okolie, the detained leader of pro Biafra agitators in Norway and his counterpart Onyedikachi Ani, also detained, who is married to a Norwegian and has a child with her, and other Biafra activists in the country. According to a statement by the leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, a plan is allegedly being hatched to deal with Biafra agitating groups. The statement read: “Norway and Nigeria have already perfected plans of deporting them through chartered cargo airplane from Belgium, to transport them to Lagos on March 9, 2016. The information we have is that the Norwegian government have struck a deal with Nigerian Immigrations Service, in Lagos to accept all the deportees and bypass the embassy which knows about their pro Biafra activities but cooked up lies against them and consider them threat to Nigeria security, which means they will be eliminated on arrival.

 No to falsehood

Worried by all the rumours making the rounds on the issue of Biafra, the umbrella body of Igbo Socio-Cultural organisations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has denied meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on agitation for Republic of Biafra and warned proponents of Radio Biafra to desist from airing falsehood because ‘’he who goes to equity must come with clean hands.’’ The apex Igbo group gave the warning following Radio Biafra reports that Ohanaeze had aborted the actualisation of Biafra as a country, that some white people from America held a meeting with Ndigbo through Ohanaeze with the intent of delivering a United Nation’s Certificate of Recognition and Independence of the Republic of Biafra. Describing the claims as a ruse, Ohanaeze Secretary General, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, in a statement, said the reports were distortions of the visit of the new United States Consul-General in Nigeria, John Bray and his team to the South-East, during which they had a meeting with Ohanaeze at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu. Noting that the visit was part of Bray’s familiarisation tour of the country, Nwaorgu said the consul-general ‘’had meetings with the governors in the various states and in Enugu, the headquarters of Ohanaeze, he had a meeting with us on Igbo perception of Nigeria.” This meeting is what has been distorted to be ‘some white men from America came to give Biafrans independence. Of course, this cannot be the process of granting anybody independence.’’ Insisting that Ohanaeze Youth Leader, Mr. Ikechukwu Isiguzoro, was not at the meeting contrary to reports and that Ohanaeze has never had any meeting with President Buhari on Biafra, the group restated its call for the unconditional release of detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr Nnamdi Kanu. While appealing to Igbo youths to be analytical in their utterances and cautious in their actions, Nwaorgu urged the Radio Biafra people to investigate their stories before airing, adding that ‘’the US Consul-General had been to other zones of the country before arriving the South-East and their youth never misread the visit.’’

BIAFRA: Activists meet Pope Francis in Rome

IPOB Members

Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis greeted a group of activists from the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, group, who are campaigning for secession from Nigeria, after they gathered at the Vatican on Sunday. During his weekly Angelus address where the Pope addresses crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the balcony of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis extended a word of welcome to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. The Pope’s statement was greeted with cheers and celebration by the Biafran group, who were waving flags during the address. Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, at St Peter’s Square Rome, during their visit to Pope Francis at theVatican. In a release yesterday in Nigeria, the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, said it took its agitation for the release of its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to Pope Francis at Vatican City for him to see the level of killing and injustice meted to them by the present All Progressives Congress government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Addressing newsmen yesterday in Nnewi, IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful said IPOB has made 5,500 calls to Pope Francis who accepted and gave his word to pray for the agitators and talk about Biafra and its restoration. “The IPOB bombarded Pope Francis with 5,500 calls and the Pope answered the calls and gave his word to make sure he talks about Biafra and its restoration and yesterday, about 35,000 Biafra agitators in Europe, Asia and America visited the Pope at Vatican City and the Pope and other Catholic leaders addressed them as Biafrans and prayed for them.That was the first time a world leader at that level addressed us and called us by the name Biafrans and prayed for us,” he said. “We are therefore calling on other church leaders to condemn the evil of killing innocent protesters and agitators and detention of an innocent man who did not do anything to break the law of a country we are not part of, a country that we are demanding for our freedom they have forcefully taken and upon that, they are killing us for demanding for our freedom. This evil must be condemned by the world leaders and religious leaders, whom we want to pray for us. “We urge the Christian leaders, Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglicans worldwide, World Christian Society, WCS, American Christians to pray for Biafra actualization and freedom. This is the time to stand up for the truth because the Boko Haram members who are killing people on daily basis have not been visited with the type of extrajudicial killings with which this APC government has visited us,” he said. Denial Meantime, the youth wing of the pan Igbo socio political organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denied meeting with any USA- based group to discuss issues pertaining to the struggle for an independent state of Biafra as earlier reported. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had accused Ohanaeze Youth Council of betraying Biafra through its alleged meeting with a USA- based organization which came to Nigeria to hold discussions on the Biafra struggle. In an interview with Vanguard in Aba, National President, Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who said he has continued to receive calls from well meaning Nigerians on the development, described the alleged meeting with the USA delegation as a figment of the imagination of the authorities of IPOB. He called on IPOB and the operators of Radio Biafra to tender an unreserved apology to Ohanaeze Youth Council and refrain from instigating crisis in Igbo land. No support for Biafra Also yesterday, the chairman of South East traditional rulers council, Eze Eberechi Dick denied declaring support for Biafra, saying that nobody should rope him into the Biafra controversy. Eze Dick spoke while reacting to a publication which alleged that he is supporting agitation for the creation of Biafan Republic. Dick who is also the chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers and the newly installed Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Minna, said he never declared support for the agitators. “I have never discussed such with any one at any given time either in Abia or outside the state. “I granted an interview to reporters after the university convocation and when they asked me about Biafra, I told them that I am a traditional ruler and not a politician and that I have no interest in politics,” Eze Dick explained. He warned that nobody should drag him into the controversial Biafra issue as he believes in the development of Igboland under a united one Nigeria. According to him, when he spoke to journalists in Minna after his induction as the Chancellor, he spoke on how he intends to take the University to a next level, pointing out that when the issue of Biafra came up, he told them that he is not a politician. Eze Dick said that his focus is on how to give Ndigbo a sense of belonging and new direction as the leader of the traditional rulers from the zone and not to try to divide the country by any means. ” What the country needs is a united Nigeria and not a divided one so that together, we can change the country and make it better instead of dividing it”.