Pro-Biafra protesters - Biafra: 6 IPOB members shot dead in Aba, 30 injured, 45 in Police net

On this Topic:

• Pro-Biafra protesters storm Enugu
• Biafra protest rages in South East -Group called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) marches in Aba, vows to shut down city Monday
• 'Biafra agitation aimed at igniting national conflict'
• Why Do Our People Fight Against Their Own Interests?
• MASSOB taunts Britain
• ‘Pro-Biafra protests not in the interest of south-east people’ -Gov Okorocha
• Biafra: Ohanaeze to meet with protesting youths 
• Rivers: Two feared killed in pro-Biafra protest
• Nigeria won't be free until Biafra is free - Nnamdi Kanu
• Rev Fr. Mbaka says pro Biafra protests ‘evil’
• MASSOB hits back at Mbaka
• Kanu's mum, sister lead protest
• Mbaka gives condition to support protest
• Jonathan’s men sponsoring pro-Biafran protests – Group
• Biafra: Count us out, S-South tells agitators
• Call Fr. Mbaka to order - Bishop
• Ohanaeze Ndigbo demand unconditional release of Radio Biafra director, draws condemnation from MASSOB and IPOB
• Bloody pro-Biafran protests in Onitsha • Soldier, cop, four others feared killed, mosque burnt
• Still on pro- Biafra agitation
• Muslim leaders urge caution over pro-Biafra violence
• Biafra: MASSOB, IPOB to halt demonstrations
• Biafra agitators take protest to Alaba Market in Lagos
• Court orders Kanu’s release, five die as pro-Biafran supporters, soldiers clash
• Biafra: 6 IPOB members shot dead in Aba, 30 injured, 45 in Police net

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MARCHING ON

I will march amidst guns and bullets
staging but a peaceful protest
For what cause I uphold is true and just!

My brothers, mothers, fathers and sisters has been shot
Some killed and more killings there to come
But that doesn’t scare us anymore
Instead death seems to be scared of us
Armless as we’re, our collective slogan is our weapon
We’ll use it until victory is achieved!

I will march unrelenting and unbroken
Chanting the Biafran anthem
I will march with others in solidarity
Until our feet are swollen

Come rain come sun
The struggle has already begun
It’s not the drums of war that beat but the drums of self liberation
Soon the world we hear of this sound
Soonest a world assemble would be summoned

There and then we’ll demand for our freedom
We can’t continue to wait till their kingdom come
Why are they scared of a referendum?
We need a nation of our own
Biafran is our country and home

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Pro-Biafra protesters storm Enugu

WRITTEN BY FRANCIS IGATA - Vanguard, Nigeria. 

ENUGU Hundreds of Pro-Biafra supporters stormed Enugu metropolis at the wee hours of Sunday, protesting the continued detention of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu and demanding urgent recognition of the Sovereign State of Biafra.

This came as Nnamdi Kanu,Director, Radio Biafra was arrested and arraigned secretly at the Magistrate Court,Wuse 11,Abuja by the Department of State Security Services,DSS, but was later granted bail on October 19.

The protesters clad in Biafra red and black colours, marched through major streets of Enugu metropolis chanting anti-Federal Government slogans insisted that the DSS should quickly release Nnamdi following the fulfillment of his stringent bail conditions by his Lawyer,Mr. Vincent Obetta.

They were however peaceful as motorists were allowed to ply without any confrontation.

In a text message to Vanguard from the factional Director of Information,Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra,MASSOB,Mr. Uchenna Madu,”we are in full support of the ongoing massive demonstration against the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu by DSS.

“Our factional members are part of the ground breaking protest and will continue with IPOB till our demand for Nnamdi Kanu’s release is achieved. For the sake of Biafra love for our fatherland and the spirit of brotherhood,MASSOB shall continue to identify with genuine,selfless Biafra agitation as showcased with Nnamdi Kanu.

“We warn the Federal Government to immediately release Nnamdi now or before Wednesday or face a severe action that will bring Nigeria to her knees. Ndigbo,South-south geopolitical zone are more wiser,united and hungry for Biafra now. Only some few disgruntled elements and Abuja errand boys from eastern region are always against Biafra.

“MASSOB shall hold Igbo Governors,National Assembly members,traditional rulers and opinion leaders responsible if Nnamdi Kanu is not released coming week. Continued detention of Nnamdi will worsen the already fragile security situation in Nigeria. 

MASSOB,IPOD and other genuine group are now ready to unleash the potency of non violence which includes civil disobedience,civil unrest,non cooperation,massive boycott,as was done during the emancipation struggle of Ghandi of India and Martin Luther King Jnr”

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Biafra protest rages in South East -Group called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) marches in Aba, vows to shut down city Monday

FROM: OKEY SAMPSON, ABA - SUN , Nigeria.

Members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on yesterday protested round the major streets of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State over the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu of the Radio Biafra fame with a vow to shot down the city on Monday. This was in defiance of the warning of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase for the group to discontinue its violent protests across the South East.

The IGP had in a statement issued through the Spokesperson of the force, Olabisi Kolawole warned that the group should stop its protest as information suggested that members of IPOB were planning to use dangerous weapons during its protest in some of the southeast states of the country.

The protest which started as early as 7.00am saw members of IPOB march peacefully through the streets of Aba in their thousands, carrying Biafran flags, flex bearing the image of their detained leader and chanting solidarity songs.

They also carried placards some of which called on the Federal Government and other International bodies to come to their assistance in order to help them achieve a sovereign state of Biafra and the release of their leader, Kanu.

Sunday Sun gathered that as early as 7am the protesters had assembled at a location near Ariaria International market where they were at initial stage prevented from taking off by a combined team of Police and other security agencies.

However, between 11am and 12noon, members of IPOB re-grouped and went round Ariaria International market with a bell warning that the market would close for business on Monday for a proposed mega rally, stressing that anybody that would defy the order would be seen as anti Biafra.

After beating the security web, the group around noon took off from a different location to match along major streets of Aba, including Faulks road, Aba-Owerri, Aba-Ikot Ekpene among other places, causing gridlock.

The group before heading back to town made a stopover in front of the office of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA channel 6 Aba, located along the Aba- Ikot Ekpenne road. They were however prevented by the police to get close to the gate of the national television where they had wanted to voice out reasons for their peaceful protest.

Some of the protesters who spoke to our reporter said that they decided to embark on the protest as a mark of respect for their leader, Kanu who they said has been incarcerated by the federal government and was refused to be granted bail despite the peaceful path that he (Kanu) and other members of the group have chosen to let the world know the level of marginalization and dehumanization the southeast and south-south states have suffered even when they were the gooses that lay the eggs other parts of the country are enjoying today.

"Look at the deplorable nature of our roads. Water in the south-south especially the oil producing states and communities have been polluted. Are we talking about gas flaring that is going on in these states? Farmers are not planting again because their farmlands are no longer producing. Poverty is eating up the people whose resources is being used to sustain the economy of the country.

"We have said it and we are going to continue saying it that we are tired of being part of the country called Nigeria where things go wrong and when you ask questions, people will call for your head. This is just the beginning of the struggle and we shall continue to push further until our leader (Kanu) is released and until the dream of our forefathers for the actualization and realization of a sovereign state of Biafra is realised. It is not going to come through a violent means, but a non-violent one; our forefathers have fought the war that we are supposed to fight, so any person thinking that Biafra is going to come through violent means is just wasting his or her precious time", one of the protesters said.

Soldiers and policemen were stationed at strategy locations of the city, but it was not clear whether there was any clash between the security agents and the protesters.

Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO DSP Ezekiel Udeviotu Onyeke could not be reached for comments, but a senior police officer who wouldn't want to be named said the presence of the police was to forestall any possible breakdown of law and order in the city.
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'Biafra agitation aimed at igniting national conflict'

~Nigerian Tribune

Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna central in the upper chamber has opined that those agitating for a new state of Biafra want to ignite national conflict.

He made this known while speaking in an interview Kaduna .

'The Biafra agitation is a new attempt to destroy President Mohammadu Buhari's administration and to ignite a national conflict and cause chaos, pandemonium and confusion in the country.

'The new agitation for Biafra is a misguided, ill-conceive and ill-fated cause. It is an ill-wind that does no good to those people who are blowing it or to Nigeria as a whole.

"The agitation is not reflective of the interest and generality of the Igbo people or the South East."

According to him, "the Igbo have made tremendous progress since after the civil war.

'They have made successes as businessmen, entrepreneurs, academics and politicians. Nigeria is today blessed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of the South-East and their future is better guaranteed and sustained within a united Nigeria," he said.

He pointed out,'the secessionist activities of the Biafran group is a hopeless course by people in search of attention. It has nothing to deliver to Nigerians or to people of the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

'They are simply attempting to wake up a dead course. I can also say that the resurgence of Biafra is symbolic of lost of lessons of our history.

' Those who are attempting to wake up the Biafran course are made up of three categories of people. The first are young men who happened to have no knowledge of what happened during the Nigeria civil war, the tragedy, the suffering and the hardship that Nigerians passed through.

'The second category are desperate forces hiding behind the Biafran agitation to undermine our national unity and attempt to destroy the Muhammadu Buhari's administration.

' And the third group are simply war mongers who want crisis in an era of peace and progress.

' So I will say this in clear terms: Nigeriaia is an indivisible entity under the green white green and we have since gone beyond the issue of the civil war.

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Why Do Our People Fight Against Their Own Interests? 

Written by  Chukwudi Nwokoye, Chukwudi Nwokoye is a lawyer (LL.M.). 

Email: Nwokoyeac@Hotmail.Com

Web: www.Thetrentonline.Com

When you ask majority of Nigerians if they are happy with the quota system, federal character, “cabalism”, tribalism, cronyism, incompetence, and Hausa-Fulani domination of everyone to the detriment of the whole country; the answer you get is a resounding “no”. You ask them if Nigeria would be greater if meritocracy and equality would make for a virile nation, the answer is a resounding “yes”. Then you wonder why the majority of Nigerians won’t work together and say “enough” to the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy and their cronies that has kept the country down for ages.

Also, when you talk to Igbo people and minorities if they are happy with playing second class citizen in a house that they co-own, you would hear litany of woes about what they went through in the Unity Schools and universities admission process, federal employment, military, contracts, appointments etc. You ask our people from the South East if they are glad that other regions have 6 states each (with 7 states for North West) while the South East has 5 states, they would tell you “no”.

You ask our people again if they are happy that the seaports at the former Eastern Region in PH, Calabar and Onitsha are comatose and roughly operational, they would say that they are not. How about international airports? Are they happy that they have to travel to Lagos to catch their international flights? Of course not. Be reminded that the people of the South East have many business men that could use the seaports and airports to make it easier to transact their businesses. Federal roads in the east nko? How about the Enugu Coal industry that is comatose? Weapon technology and the airstrips developed during the war? The list goes on.

All these things mentioned above are real and not imagined. Then you ask them the way out of these, many would scratch their heads for answers. Some would speak long grammar signifying absolutely nothing.

It gets really interesting when someone is speaking up about it and is ready to do anything about it which includes legitimately asking for self-determination. The same people who gave you litany of woes suffered by Igbo people and minorities would start their usual turenchi. “Well, we don’t want any war.” “These people are going about it the wrong way.” “They are so abusive in their Radio Biafra.” “They sound angry and violent.” “I don’t like the dude, he sounds cocky and full of himself.” Bla bla bla. Some would throw out proverbs like “Charity begins at home.” They would tell you that we have to start with South East governors, senators and representatives. Who said that you could not hold them accountable while you fry the bigger fish? Can’t a man take a walk and chew gum at the same time? Haba! They would come with all kinds of excuses and diversionary tactics well crafted by the divide and rule cabals.

I marvel at our people! If the litany of these woes that I outlined does not make a man angry, frustrated and abusive, what else would? I think that our problem is that we have conditioned ourselves towards accepting anything thrown our way. We can’t tell what is normal and abnormal anymore. Some of us rejoice with the fact that Igbo people can survive anywhere. Why should it not be about thriving? Why should it be about survival and condoning all manner of abuse just because we are Igbo.

Some would start telling you about the ills of civil war and how Igbo people used to dominate almost every sphere of human endeavours in Nigeria before the war and that the war put Igbo people back. They would start to lecture you about how you were not born during the war and how they suffered during the war. They would come with the worn out and stupid argument that Igbo people don’t love each other and that Igbo land and in fact the whole of former Eastern Region is landlocked. A friend of mine that is married to a yoruba man asked me what would become of people like her that married from other tribes as if an Independent Biafra would automatically nullify her marriage!

Who is talking about war??? When does quest for self-determination become a call for war? We have lots of educated illiterates in Nigeria! Did the new republics that made up former USSR go to war to break up from Russian domination? How about those in the former Yugoslovia? Czechoslovakia nko? How about the Pakistanis that broke off from India and the Bangladesh people that broke up from Pakistan? How about Southern Sudanese people that recently broke off away Sudan? What of Eritrea that broke away from Ethiopia? A lot of our people need to get their head screwed right. Walahi! I wonder the kind of education that some of our so-called elites received.

Coming back to Radio Biafra and their Director Nnamdi Kanu, he must be a genius for putting together a silent revolution that everyone is talking about. I have not heard that a single car windshield was smashed by the demonstrators or that any shop was looted or that motorists were molested or manhandled. You have to give the man some credits. The demonstrators were peaceful, persistent, mature and never possessed even a stone let alone a weapon. You must doff your hats for them no matter what bias or misconceptions you have about the word “Biafra” or his modus.

I don’t care if Nnamdi Kanu is a charlatan or attention seeker. I don’t care if he had an affair with multiple women whom he later abandoned before he got married. I don’t care if he dated Chioma Amaryllis and broke up with her. All these do not matter to me. If my house is on fire, I do not give a rat-ass what kind of water I used to quench the fire. If my precious dog gets missing or lost, why should I give a shit about who recovered it and brought it back to me?

If you as a person who is being marginalised and persecuted in Nigeria cannot do anything about it, why not maintain your spot at the sidelines or your armchair and zip your mouth? How many northerners have you heard criticising Boko Haram; that have actually killed over 15,000 and destroyed billions of naira worth of properties, rendering tens of thousands of people homeless or displaced? How many time have they advocated a shutdown of “Radio Chanji” or “BBC Hausa Service”? Those mediums are used to spread northern agenda and spew hate.

I cannot understand why we are so afraid to stand firm and against injustices meted to us and demand self government? Why would you continue to advocate for a country that does not accept that you belong with it? How much longer? 100 more years? Taata bu kwa gboo.

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Biafra: MASSOB taunts Britain

Demands support as given Scotland, Ireland

From Okey Sampson, Aba

MOVEMENT for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has come down heavy on Britain over her comment on the agitation for a Biafran state.

The group said British government's double standard on global politics and stiff opposition to self-determination by the people of the defunct South Eastern province would not stop the independence of the state of Biafra.

This is even as the Movement placed a curse on officials of the British government, saying the ghost of the Igbo killed during the civil war, which they alleged to have aided would continue to hunt them.

The British High Commission in Nigeria had last week through its Press and Public Affairs officer, Joe Abuku said the British government only "recognise the (Nigerian) borders laid down at independence" and there would be no support for Biafra.

MASSOB Assistant National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, said it was the same Britain which said it was not going to support Biafra agitators that supported a referendum for Scotland to decide whether they will still remain in the United Kingdom or not.

Noting that the same opportunity that was given to Ireland and Scotland by Britain could have also been extended to the people of Biafra "or are they saying what is good for the Irish and Scottish people will not be good for the people of Biafra or is our own different because we are blacks?"

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‘Pro-Biafra protests not in the interest of south-east people’ -Gov Okorocha

By Chidi Nkwopara, Peter Okutu, Francis Igata, Godwin Oghre and Ugochukwu Alaribe. 

OWERRI: IMO State Governor and Chairman of Progressives Governors' Forum, Chief Rochas Okorocha, is currently arranging a crucial meeting with other governors in the South-East, over the growing agitation by protagonists of Biafra.

Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday, shut down markets in Aba, Abia State, in continuation of its three-day one million protest march calling for the release of their detained leader and Director, Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Similarly, Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, said it had mobilized over 2,000-members for a peaceful protest in Ebonyi State.

Governor Okorocha in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said the leadership of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, and other stakeholders in the geo-political zone, were also being invited to talk and agree on how to check the activities of pro-Biafra groups in the area.

"The meeting is expected to take place this weekend in Owerri, the Imo State capital. Already the Governor has begun to make all the necessary contacts to ensure that all those expected to be at the meeting, would be in attendance", Onwuemeodo said.

It will be recalled that Okorocha had earlier, while taking exception to the pro-Biafra violent protests in some of the South-East states and few other neighbouring states, disassociated the governors and leaders in the South-East states from the MASSOB protest, describing the whole exercise as "embarrassing, disturbing, counter-productive and to a large extent, distracting".

According to Governor Okorocha, the pro-Biafra protests could not be in the interest of the south-east people but were only sending wrong signals to the rest of Nigerians.

"It has become increasingly necessary for the governors in the zone, Ohaneze leaders and other stakeholders in the area to meet, to call a spade, a spade", Okorocha said.

The Governor also said that "at the end of the Owerri meeting, the governors and other leaders will take a common position and will also invite the leaders of the pro-Biafra groups for a meeting, to let them know the socio-economic and political implications of their activities, including their demand for sovereignty in a united Nigeria".

Chief Okorocha insisted that the governors and leaders in the zone could no longer sit and watch the whole situation degenerate, even as he also noted that the Igbos as a people cannot afford to have its own kind of Boko Haram.

He wondered why the pro-Biafra apologists kept quiet all these years only to resume their protests and activities this time and few months after the new administration in the country came on board.

Markets shut in Abia as over 30,000 sympathisers protest

In Aba, Abia State, members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday, shut down markets in continuation of its three-day protest march, calling for the release of their detained leader and Director, Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. The protesters in several groups, with each numbering no fewer than 5,000, marched through Azikiwe, Cemetery, Asa, Faulks, Aba-Owerri and Osisioma Ngwa from where they forcefully closed all the markets in the city.

According to them, the one million protest march was an attempt by the group to draw the attention of the international community to alleged injustice being visited on their leader who had been detained for over two weeks now.

According to them, they chose not to be violent because the "price has already been paid by our forefathers and the price we are going to pay for the sake of Biafra is exactly what our director (Kanu) is paying for at the moment."

However, security agents including soldiers and policemen were on hand, to ensure that hoodlums did not hijack the protest to loot property. Vanguard observed that as early as 8am, some of the protesters had marched around the popular Azikiwe road and warned shop owners to lock up or face the wrath of the group, while another group visited the Ekeoha Shopping Centre to ensure that the order was not flouted.

Shop owners who had already opened for business were seen hurriedly closing their shops. The two groups later converged at the ever busy Azikiwe/ Asa road junction causing a heavy gridlock as they marched through Faulks to the Ariaria International Market where they had Saturday warned traders not to open for business yesterday.

MASSOB mobilizes 2,000 for Ebonyi protest

In Ebonyi, MASSOB, yesterday, said it had mobilized no fewer than 2000 members for a peaceful protest in the state.

In a statement, the factional leader of the group, Uchenna Madu, said in Abakaliki that the body was protesting indiscriminate arrests and detention of its members by the federal government.

"We are unstoppable in this nationwide protest. No amount of intimidation, harassment, arrest and detention will prevent us from showing our grievances over the action of the Federal Government and the police. They have been arresting us and we want to let them know that there is limit we can endure all their actions. We have been very peaceful but the federal government and security agents are pushing us to the wall", he said.exercise to checkmate influx of hoodlums, arms and ammunition into the state.

James Ibori disowns Biafra

In Sapele, Delta State, former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has dissociated himself from the movement agitating for the creation of Biafra republic, saying Nigeria remains indestructible.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr Eluemunor, Chief Ibori denied any affiliation or association with the protesters and warned against the use of his pictures during protests.

He also stated that the peace that the country enjoyed for 45 years after the civil war should not be broken by residues being dug up by some people to further divide the nation and betray efforts at national reconciliation and development. This he said must not be allowed.

Revamping S/East infrastructure will douse agitation for Biafra -APC

Meantime, All Progressives Congress, APC, South-East geopolitical zone, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to quickly fix the decayed infrastructures plaguing the region as a panacea to arresting the growing agitation for the Sovereign State of Biafra.

APC, however, lauded Mrs. Aisha Buhari for flagging-off her free medical pet project – Health Screening Initiative in Enugu State. A statement by the party’s spokesperson in the South-East, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said "the decayed and collapsed federal roads in the South-East, the 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu coal and other neglected federal projects in the region as well as the revamping of physical infrastructure will no doubt motivate Ndigbo to join President Buhari in constructing a progressive Nigeria, and dissuade and douse the pro-Biafra agitators. "Asiha Buhari's choice of Enugu State to flag-off her pet free medical project,in no uncertain terms demonstrates her pan-Nigerian outlook, political sagacity and uncommon patriotism. It gives a sense of belonging and similar concrete moves will help to convince ethnic merchants and engender hope on the Nigeria project.”

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Biafra: Ohanaeze to meet with protesting youths

Written by Clifford Ndujihe, Jimitota Onoyume and Ugochukwu Alaribe.

South-East govs to meet in Enugu, Friday Protests continue in Port Harcourt, cause gridlock

Opportunity to restructure Nigeria -Ohanaeze youths….

Igbo leaders agree -Ikokwu

WORRIED by the increasing and dangerous dimension that the pro-Republic of Biafra protests are assuming, the umbrella body of Igbo socio-cultural organizations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will meet with leaders of the protesting groups soon.

A leader of the Ohanaeze told Vanguard, yesterday, that an all-inclusive meeting is being worked out, adding that the meeting would be a follow-up to the one being organized by South-East governors.

The South East governors’ meeting, Vanguard gathered, will now hold in Enugu, the regional headquarters of the zone, on Friday, and not in Owerri as earlier permuted.

For about two weeks, members and supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and a faction of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, have been protesting in several cities of the South East and South-South geo-political zones over the continued detention of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra, by the Federal Government.

Indeed, pro-Biafra protesters, yesterday, again disrupted economic life in several parts of Port Harcourt and adjoining local councils in Rivers State as they continued their protest.

This is as Second Republic politician, Chief Guy Ikokwu, who called for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, said Igbo leaders are unanimous on the call for urgent restructuring of the country.

Protest in Port Harcourt…

The Rumuola portion of the ever busy Aba Road was shut down by the protesters as their activities disrupted free flow of traffic for several hours.

Adjoining roads were also affected as motorists had hectic time on long queues for hours.

The protesters, who stormed the streets under the aegis of IPOB, reportedly broke into about four groups with each chanting pro-Biafra songs.

Residents said one of the groups was around Rumuokwuta area of Ikwerre Road while the others were spread along Aba Road down to Obigbo local council.

The protesters had been carrying on in the state since Saturday, demanding the release of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

Activist wants IGP to effect mass transfer of policemen in Aba

Meawhile, Convener of Save Aba Group, St. Moses Ogbonna has called on the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to effect a massive transfer of policemen serving in Aba, Abia State over the closure of markets in the city by IPOB, on Monday.

Ogbonna, in a chat with Vanguard in Aba, said the Police in the city failed in their duties to protect lives and properties by allowing protesters to shut down markets which caused untold hardship to residents.

''Police terrorize residents including mounting of road blocks and checkpoints against the directive of the IGP as exemplified with what is happening at the Ogbor Hill Waterside Bridge and several locations on the old Aba – Umuahia highway," he said, and hoped that the transfers would inject new blood in the system with fresh ideas to fight insecurity in the city.

Opportunity to restructure Nigeria -Ohanaeze youth

The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use the opportunity of the protests embarked by members of IPOB to address injustice meted out on Ndigbo and restructure the country.

National President of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Aba, said Buhari would write his name in gold, if he frees Nnamdi Kanu, dialogue with Ndigbo and address their grievances.

"We advise that this is the time for President Buhari to do the needful and release Nnamdi Kanu. We make bold to warn that Nigeria is treading a dangerous path, which must be halted without further delay. Ohanaeze is appealing to IPOB to cease further protest to give room for dialogue. Having brought attention to the marginalization and untold hardship caused by several years of neglect, they should sheathe their swords.

"We call on the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South-East Council of Traditional Rulers and Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the South East to wade in. We know President Buhari as a man of honour and conscience, who would give ears to the grievances of the group. All hands should be on deck to stop this raging fire," he said

Isiguzoro continued: "Let President Buhari emulate the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's magic in resolving the militancy problem in the Niger Delta. If President Buhari can free Nnamdi Kanu, start rehabilitating federal roads and the Second Niger Bridge in the South East, accommodate more Igbo people and allay their fears that they are endangered species in Nigeria, the yearnings of the Ndigbo would have been met.''

….Igbo leaders united on restructuring of Nigeria

- Ikokwu

Speaking on the protests, Ikokwu said restructuring the country and implementing the 2014 National Conference report will go a long way in ending the protests because apart from Igbo leaders, the South-South, North-Central and South-West zones are in a favour of restructuring Nigeria.

His words: ''The founding fathers of our nation's two protectorates of the North and the South preferred the chant of "unity in diversity." They opted for a federal rather than a unitary structure politically. They were such leaders as Engr. Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Sir Tafawa Balewa, Mr. Herbert Endeley, Chief Dennis Osadebe, Dr. Michael Opara, Mallam Aminu Kano, Hon. J. S. Tarka, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim and many other notable leaders.

''Most of the above leaders made innumerable sacrifices for Nigeria to remain united as one country, but events of the past 55 years had left Nigeria depleted of its vital economic potential, political will, aggravated poverty, malnourished populace, high level illiteracy and Almajirism, hypocritical leadership, abject colonial mentality and inferiority complex;, religious fanaticism, criminal tendencies, drug abuse, anti-social behaviours and the myopic anti-national and anti-development strategies.

''Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, former military governor of Imo and Lagos states (and a notable pro-democracy activist) stated thus at a public lecture: '...only someone foolish would have failed to realize that no matter the time spent on travelling on a wrong road, and the distance covered along this road, the only remedy is to turn back and begin on the right road. Otherwise, the intended destination will never be achieved...'

''It was the result of the activities of the various pressure groups from the South and Middle Belt and in some parts of the upper North that led the last President, Goodluck Jonathan to convoke a National Conference in 2014 aimed at finding acceptable formula for our constitutional amendments and restructuring.

The report of this confab was endorsed by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and handed over to our new President Buhari and the 7th Senate President David Mark for an exercise that will boost our development stride and ensure more justice, equity and development. It is necessary at this point of the increase of the call of true federalism and proper fiscal federalism, to implement it.

''Within the last three months, our South East and South South geo political zones have witnessed our youths strategizing their own ways for a restructured Nigeria and some of their engaging techniques have become technological aparati. Such an incidence is that of the so called radio Biafra which some Nigerian authorities have resorted to very strong measures of suppression. In some cases, people have threatened such digital engagements as treasonable.

''In the North-East, the Boko Haram insurgency has made government and a lot of people to bring $3billion for the rescue, restoration and repair of property destroyed. In the South-East and parts of South-South, after the civil war, which claimed about three million lives, there has been no reparation and rebuilding. The Igbo apex body claims they are owed over N3 trillion in reparation. The non-creation of an additional state in the South East since 10 years now has cost them over N1 trillion revenue from the federal coffers!

''We will find that the Afenifere, Ohanaze Ndigbo, Ijaw National Conference, Middle Belt socio cultural pressure groups, even the far North social cultural pressure groups have a lot in common in their effort and to bring about justice, equity and more developmental strides across the nation”.

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Rivers: Two feared killed in pro-Biafra protest

Written by Chukwudi Akasike.

Nnamdi Kanu

TWO pro-Biafra protesters were on Tuesday feared killed by purported stray bullets from the police after thousands of youths trekked about 40 kilometres from Aba to Port Harcourt in protest against the continued detention of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Apart from the two feared dead, three persons, who sustained gunshot injuries, were said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital located in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

In the wake of the fresh protest, Governor Nyesom Wike announced a ban on street protest with immediate effect.

Wike, who announced the ban in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday night, following the violent protest embarked upon by some pro-Biafra groups, criticised the movement of the protesters from neighbouring states into Rivers State.

He said, “After due consultations with the members of the State Security Council, and in the exercise of my constitutional responsibility to preserve the safety, security and corporate integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is hereby ordered that all forms of street protests, demonstrations, rallies or unlawful gatherings associated with the agitations for the secession of any group from the Federal Republic of Nigeria are banned in Rivers State.”

The protesters went violent after they learnt that some of their colleagues, who were intercepted by a group of riot policemen at the Eleme axis of Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, were attacked.

It was learnt that the protesters were the members and supporters of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, who were bent on taking their protest to the Government House in Port Harcourt.

It was gathered that the protesters had defied the teargas canisters shot by the policemen at Oyigbo and moved up to Artillery Bus Stop on the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway where the police refused to allow them to proceed further.

One Mr. Orji Izuka, disclosed that two persons were shot and killed at the Eleme Junction by security operatives when the protesters refused to move backward.

The protesters, who later became violent, pulled down Nigerian flags wherever they were seen, while motorists, who failed to chant the Biafra song, got their vehicles smashed by the irate youths.

Chanting war songs, some of the youths stamped their feet on the ground as they surged along the road even as the police tried to stop them around Oyigbo Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the protesting youths, who also called for the secession of some South-East states from the country, vowed not to relent until their objectives were achieved.

Cletus Onyeche, an eyewitness, who spoke on the incident, said, “The protest today was violent and the police were able to manage the situation. If the police had done otherwise, there would have been bloodbath today.

“The protesters did not stop moving forward even when the riot policemen shot teargas canisters into the air. Their plan was to move into Port Harcourt and end their protest around the Government House gate.”

Another eyewitness, who did not mention his name, said, “I salute the professional way the police handled the matter; if not, there would have been casualties. The police, after battling for hours to stop the protesters, had to surrender before escorting them (protesters) as they were moving.

“They were pulling down Nigerian flags, throwing stones at banks offices and even beating up people that refused to chant solidarity songs,” the eyewitness said.

The pro-Biafra demonstration had paralysed business activities in Port Harcourt and its environs as traders closed their shops in order to secure their goods from those who might want to hijack the protest and engage in looting.

But the Rivers State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, insisted that no person was shot by the police.

Mohammad, who explained that the police were monitoring the protest, added that information before him was that nobody was killed and none was injured.
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Nigeria won't be free until Biafra is free - Nnamdi Kanu

In 2013, Nnamdi Kanu, the detained director of Radio Biafra, visited Nigeria. He granted what could pass for his only interview in Nigeria. The interview conducted by Sam Anokam and which was published by Saturday Sun, in 2013, is hereby reproduced.

Excerpts:

Tell us your name and what you do

My name is Nnamdi Kanu, I am the director of Radio Biafra which is based in London but now Radio Biafra is in Nigeria, it is in Biafra land. We have been here broadcasting on FM frequency 88.2 in Enugu, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Nnewi and Owerri. We have brought Radio Biafra back to Biafra land for the very first time in 43 to 44 years. It is very well in operation in the east.

Why the East?

You know it is FM. It is not enough to propagate round and go round the country but we are working. Sometime in September, October, this year, we will to be able to bring in sufficient power in terms of transmission to allow us access to all areas within Nigeria.

Did you encounter any form of challenge in operating here?

The people that we got challenges from were some people who are obviously agents of the Nigerian government within the Biafran struggle because there are some Biafrans who are full-time paid agents of Nigeria. It is only from them that we got some rumblings but we were sufficiently protected because we are not doing anything illegal. It is free speech. We are basically speaking our minds. That is what is happening which incidentally a lot of people in and around the country bought into. It's not a question of us saying something that is new, we are discussing something that every other part of the country would like to be a part of.

How long have you been running the radio station in Nigeria?

We started running Radio Biafra in Nigeria for the past two and a half weeks, to be precise.

How has the reception been?

It's been very good but initially, the estimate we had was for a 25 mile radius range for the transmitter and the power of the antenna that we had but what we are recording were 18 miles. What we then need to do is to take it back to our people and then be able to make some improvements to it. As I said, we have a bigger transmitter coming in around September, October. We should be able to provide coverage nationally. Wherever you are in Nigeria, you should be able to get Radio Biafra on FM and AM from October of this year.

For now, what is the duration of the broadcast?

It is normally two and three hours. The one we had in Aba, because of the location where we are and the incessant rainfall, it was curtailed to an hour and 49 minutes but we are hoping to bring Radio Biafra to people on a daily basis.

Tell us how you started Radio Biafra in London

We started Radio Biafra in 2009 with the help of the then MASSOB members. They contributed to set up Radio Biafra. When we discovered that the leadership of MASSOB was doing something entirely different from what the people actually wanted, we went on air to tell the people about what we felt the struggle was going and the funding for Radio Biafra was stopped at that point in time. It was moribund for about two years. We then revived Radio Biafra ourselves a year ago. It came back online again on April 13 last year following the death of our people in the North. We decided to revive the radio station to bring hope, enlightenment and knowledge to our people.

How many of you revived Radio Biafra?

Radio Biafra was revived ostensibly by six people. Within the two years that Radio Biafra was off air, we were going to work Monday to Friday, 9-5 everyday, working and saving money to start Radio Biafra again. We neglected our families. We abandoned our commitments to our families both in London and here in Nigeria.

How have you been funding and sustaining it?

We've been sustained by ourselves. We go to work. We know that media for you people is a full-time job. For us, it should be a full-time job but we cannot have any funding because we don't want to go out and be pleading with people all the time because of what happened in the past. Anywhere we go for funding, they always remind us where the previous support they rendered us went to. 

They always use MASSOB and what Uwazuruike is doing as example as reasons not to fund the struggle anymore and we said rather with waiting and pleading with our people we agreed to do it ourselves to show them that we are serious. As long as we are on the path of truth and honesty, they will come round to our way of thinking at some point and we believe that is what they've done. And because the FM that we are talking about was funding only by one individual, Chukwudi Oforma who is based in Australia, he decided to bring out the money to fund the FM project that I came here to execute. That tells you that people are now beginning to come out to put some financial muscle behind what we are doing.

How is the reception in London?

When Radio Biafra came back on air, there were jubilations not only in Nigeria but all over the world. Because people recognise what Radio Biafra represents. At Radio Biafra, we cannot afford to lie. It is not a propaganda machine. We tell you things the way they are. If we are failing, we will tell the people we are failing and these are the reasons we are failing because part of the difficulty we've had in the past is people misrepresenting the truth. At Radio Biafra, we took an oath and we swore never to misrepresent the truth. Any day we lie or represent what is fact, that day, we will shut down and we will not be able to proceed. That is why we have been able to accomplish more than when we received sponsorship from members of MASSOB.

At some point, the funding meant for Radio Biafra was withdrawn by Uwazuruike and we began to enlighten people as to what was going wrong with the movement. And events now have borne us out that we were correct all along and that is why the more people discover how truthful Radio Biafra is, the more they are flocking back to us.

Now tell me what is wrong with MASSOB?

The movement has been flawed because people have started to follow the path of money. They have forgotten what Biafra realisation is all about. Mind you, we are not actualising but realising Biafra because Biafra already existed. You cannot actualize what is already in existence. The movement derailed because of the cult hero worship. When you are in a freedom fighting movement, the leadership of that movement is not very important, what is important is the ideology that underpins the entire movement. When you then embody, encapsulate the entire thinking of a movement in one person, that person becomes a target either for compromise or for assassination. That is what happens and that is what happened in this case. As you can see, we have now abandoned the struggle for Biafra, we are talking about chieftaincy titles. We are talking about working with PDP, we are talking about sewing uniform with Mrs. Jonathan peace ambassador and the rest of it but that was not the intention of the struggle. Biafra is puritanical in the sense that it doesn't like contamination with any other thing and that is why we are suffering today.

And because we took our eyes away from what was important which was the freedom for our people, we started to look at material things like cars, buildings, accolades and wealth. That was how we derailed.

What is the ideology of Biafra?

The ideology of Biafra is the freedom, the emancipation of all the Biafran people which means that all the people bound genetically, culturally and by the same value system. In other words, I am talking about those who understand the history of the Biafran people. I am talking about the Idoma people, the Igbo people, the Efiks, Ibibios, Anangs, Ijaw, Itsekiris, the Urhobos and the Anioma people. All these are Biafran families. If you go to a village or town for instance Oturpko, they have four market days-Eke, Orie, Afor and Nkwo. And when people say that these people are not Igbo people or that they are not related to Igbo people, it becomes a thing of wonder. 

How is it possible that people that have Eke, Orie, Afor and Nkwo as their market days are not related to Igbo people? When you go to Akwa Ibom or Cross River State, what they call God is Abasi, that is what we call God where we come from. The highest fraternity in Igboland where I come from in Abia State is Okonko. Okonko was directly derived from the Ibibio and the Efik cultures, the same thing with Ekpe. When we want to dance Ekpe in my place, we go to Ibibio land to buy the kits for the Ekpe which is a masquerade dance. So, we are all related. We are the same people genetically, in terms of our complexion, in terms of our attitude. I give all your readers a challenge. I want you to go to any market in Warri for instance. Stand back and take a picture of that market, then, go to any Igbo town or village, take a picture of the market of that village and tell me if you can tell the difference. There is no difference. The dressing is the same. Everything we do is the same. The people we call Bonny today are people from Nkwerre. We are all the same people. But due to the difficulties, the hardship, the pain that we have been subjected to, they think it is now fashionable to jettison where you come from and try to be something that you are not which is why we are suffering till today.

What is the way out?

The way out is total freedom for Biafra because Nigeria will not be free unless Biafra is free. We are not against Nigeria. That is the problem. We must make it abundantly clear that Biafra is not the antithesis of Nigeria. We want Nigeria to be one should they feel to engage in the exercise but what we are saying is that you are keeping us in bondage. To tell me that Imo State allocation is a paltry N3.4b every month, this is the reason our governors could not work before. We have been at the forefront of castigating South eastern governors of not doing enough. It is now that it is beginning to occur to us that they don't even have the money to do anything in the first place. There is no money available. How do we rectify all these problems? I challenge anybody to go to Igbo land and not be able to weep. 

You will see misery upon misery. We are not marginalised, we are enslaved. We are encased in a plaster of deprivation unheard of ever before. We are asking people to leave Lagos, leave where you are in Europe, in America, in Asia, wherever you may be, travel to the village, if you come back the same person, then you know something is wrong with you because where we come from is decaying. Biafra land is in absolute and unimaginable poverty which nobody can cure unless we have Biafra.

Does Radio Biafra have any link or campaigning for Biafra republic?

Yes, we do. Radio Biafra is the most listened to indigenous broadcast out of sub Saharan Africa. We have every evening nothing less than two million people tuned in all around the world. We have on average every blessed day nothing less than 100,000 people visit Radio Biafra website so the message we propagate is getting through or else people will not be coming. Our message is resonating with the people and we are working with a lot of groups ostensibly Bilie Human Rights Initiatives, Biafra Liberation Council, we are also working with other groups across the Niger Delta areas to make sure we bring about Biafra of justice and equality, not Biafra of domination because a lot of people are afraid that if we have Biafra, there is going to be domination by the Igbo people and our question to them is very simple: before Nigeria, before the whiteman came, did the Igbos conquer anybody? 

The answer is no. We are larger than the Ibibios, Efiks, Ijaws, did we go to the Ijaws and say you must speak Igbo language or else we kill you? Or you must adopt our culture or else we kill you? The ironic thing is that we ended up absorbing these other cultures to the Igbo way of life. That goes to show how versatile we are. We are not a domineering people. 

The fact that if you open up your shop to trade and you are blessed and become wealthy means that you are domineering? That is a slightly false perception of what dominance is. It is not dominance, it is people actually doing well. And you will know even in Igboland today, there is a traditional ruler that has converted to Islam-Eze Dumuna of Mbaitoli. He is now Musa Dimuna, a traditional titled ruler in Igboland! He's not been killed. He's not been chased out or bombed because we believe in tolerance.

What's your take about groups agitating for Biafra?

We welcome every group agitating for Biafra as long as you are doing it in truth and honesty. If you look at the programme of some elements of movement within Biafra land, you would know that they have derailed from that cardinal principal. They are not pursuing Biafra in truth and honesty anymore. What they are doing does not represent freedom fighting anymore. That is why we say to people, there are groups you can join. You can join Bilie Human Rights Initiative which took Nigeria to court which a lot of people don't know about.

A court in Nigeria recognises the word 'Biafra' for the very first time without throwing everybody in jail. The case is coming up on April 30 and we are asking everybody to be in court in Owerri to witness this landmark occasion. It's been going on since last year. 

A lot of people don't know this. Again we are saying join Bilie Human Rights Initiatives, listen to Radio Biafra broadcasting both from London and Biafra land, you can also join Biafra Liberation Council. It is a legitimate group. You can join Lower Niger Congress. These are groups that are legitimate. Any other group you join is involved in criminality and in violence, detrimental to what we are pursuing because you have people with MASSOB for instance who are going about arresting people and handing over to Nigerian police. People agitating for Biafra are being arrested and being handed over to the Nigerian police and these are people claiming to be fighting for the struggle. You have to be consistent. There is no relationship between fighting for the freedom of your people and accumulation of wealth. That is what we are against.

In other words, your relationship with MASSSOB is sour?

Our relationship with genuine people within MASSOB pursuing Biafra in truth and honesty is sound. What we abhor is the leadership of MASSOB because the leadership of MASSOB is corrupt. Intrinsically corrupt. They were campaigning for PDP during the last elections, everybody knows that. They are running all over the place looking for chieftaincy titles. We asked them: have you seen anywhere in the history of modern freedom fighters where you jettison freedom fighting and start looking for chieftaincy titles? You abandon freedom fighting to start pricing the cost of cement and sand to go and build a house. 

You wait until you get what you are looking for. At that point, the people will honour you. Nelson Mandela doesn't live in a mansion. Mahatma Ghandi never lived in a mansion. Martin Luther King Junior never lived in a mansion. Che Guevara never lived in a mansion. What are you doing with landed properties? What are you doing with wealth if you are a freedom fighter? We work ourselves to put our money in Biafra. We don't expect anything from Biafra. We don't have anything to with money. That is the cardinal rule in Radio Biafra. You can never be rich. You don't need money for anything at all as long as you can feed and cloth and transport yourself, that is enough. The glory of your people being free is your gain. Nothing more, nothing less. If you are lucky the people might give you a three bedroom bungalow to live when you retire but we have role models in the likes of Mandela among others who never amassed any personal wealth, these are genuine freedom fighters and this is what Radio Biafra is modelled on.

The Igbos have been victims of Boko Haram and recently a bus was bombed in Kano with the Igbo people as victims as usual, what is your take on it?

My brother was there, Ikechukwu from Ndagwam from Etiti Nabua in Isiama Afara Ukwu, Ibeku. I cannot marry from that kindred. My brother died in the explosion. What is happening in Nigeria is affecting some of us. I have his picture here on my phone lying in his casket so that people will understand the difficulties we are going through within this country. What Boko Haram is doing to us is not only abominable, it is absolutely unacceptable to us. Ask yourself, why would we start Radio Biafra? Simple, nobody was talking. Have you heard any Igbo governor talk about the bombings in the North or condemn it? The answer is no. Have you heard Ohanaeze, our own fathers that we look up to and respect, say anything about the bombings? The answer is No.

Have you heard anybody else come out to say what Boko Haram is doing is bad and must be matched? The answer is no.

Ask yourself why they are killing Igbo people? They are killing Igbo people because of a man that says he is not Igbo. They are killing Igbo people because of Goodluck Jonathan. We cannot allow this to continue. If people are exchanging the lives of our people for money, for jeep for what they can get, their days are numbered.

How do you think Biafra would be realised?

Biafra will be realised both legally, politically, socially and otherwise. But one thing is for certain, Biafra is coming. Nobody can stop it. No amount of intimidation, arrest, torture, deprivation will stop Biafra from coming. It is already ordained. We are not talking about the Biafra that these new age churches preach asking us to leave everything to God. We are not leaving everything to God, we are asking God to give us the power to be able to do things. When we start, you should tell your readers that the world will not even be able to contain us. What Boko Haram is doing will appear like a tea party when we start our own. The reason being that, we have not done anything in this country to deserve the treatment that we are getting. We have done nothing wrong to people. They say don't break away and be Biafra, we agree to remain in one Nigeria, what are we getting today? Punishment. Death. Disaster upon disaster. You are living in a country you call your own and you are dying every blessed day. Is it a country? If they are killing us in these numbers because somebody who answers an Igbo name is in Aso Rock what do you think will happen when an Igbo man is there? They will slaughter all of us. The first time that this pogrom happened on this scale was when an Igboman was the head of state. They killed Aguiyi Ironsi and from that they massacred everybody. Isn't that enough to tell the Igbo people that you are not wanted in this country?

Now you tell me as a journalist, when the Yorubas' want to hold meetings, they come to Yoruba land. They go to Ibadan or Awolowo's house and have their meeting. When the northerners, the Hausa Fulani people want to meet, they go to Kaduna, Zaria, Sokoto and meet. Do you know that when Ibos want to meet, we go to Atlanta, Texas, we meet in Lagos, we don't meet in Enugu. Even the Ohanaeze that we are hoping and praying should be constituted in a way to reflect the wishes and aspirations of our people is now dancing to the tune to whoever pays them highest.

If one governor in the South East comes out and say I will develop my state and make it better, they will impeach him and put somebody else in there and we are very docile and doing nothing. Let's make this very clear, if we don't fight for Biafra to come, many more Boko Haram deaths will happen. And the slaughter will intensify and if it gets to the point they know we've been cowed into a corner, they will come in forcibly to islamise us. It is now happening in Imo State. The entrance to the government house has an Islamic symbol there. I challenge anybody to go and have a look. It is happening. A traditional ruler is now a muslim in Imo state. They are building their Islamic centres. I am not against any religion. Islam if practiced very well is a wonderful religion, I have nothing against it but you can see the creeping Islamization we are experiencing and that can't continue.

What is your advice for the Igbo?

It is for everybody to listen to Radio Biafra. Everybody should cultivate and develop the habit of masking sure they have the Biafran consciousness in them, in truth and honesty. We don't want the Biafra of the old of deception deceit and lies. Biafra represents light. We have no mixture with darkness. Anytime you stand upon the name Biafra to lie and to cheat, you are finished. You cannot accomplish anything. What are we doing in Nigeria? What have you gained in Nigeria? Do you know that oil is in Imo State before any other place? Do you know that Shell was in Owerri before any other place in this country? Is it fair that we from Biafra cannot make use of Calaba or Port Harcourt sea ports? Why must I be in Ohaozara and import a car through Lagos, does that make any economic sense to anybody? In a country that claims it is developing? In a country where crude oil comes from the ground, yet, you cant produce electricity and you are telling me you are human beings? I don't want to belong to that country, God forbid!

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Rev Fr. Mbaka says pro Biafra protests ‘evil’

~Vanguard, Nigeria.

Enugu – A Catholic Priest in Enugu, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka has condemned the recent agitation and protests for Biafra nation describing the action as `evil.'

Mbaka made the condemnation in Enugu on Saturday in a sermon at his weekly Adoration Ministry.

The cleric urged youths in the South East and South-South to go back to their business as the protest could lead to their death.

“Locking up your shops and disrupting economic activities will not add any naira to your pocket, whatever grievance you have could be resolved through dialogue,'' the cleric said.

He lambasted those leaders that were behind the agitation and protests, saying that they should use their children for the struggle.

Mbaka commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing ministers from the zone and assigning them with good portfolios.

“President Buhari's action has proven that the South East has not been marginalized. I would have reacted if no minister emerged from the zone,'' he said.

He said that the five states in the zone had minister each as prescribed by the Nigerian constitution as well as other key security and protocol officers that serves under president and his wife.

The reverend father attributed the recent free health screening initiative by the Wife of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari, in Enugu to her love for the people of the region.

He blamed the Igbo leaders for not living up to the expectation of the people in the area, adding that past governors, National Assembly members failed woefully in discharging their mandates.

"President Buhari is not the cause of poor roads, unemployment and other decay infrastructures in the south east, we should blame our leaders.

"Most of the roads had been awarded but our leaders squandered the fund, even the university teaching hospital in Enugu is a no-go-area and our leaders are not concerned about it," he said.

Mbaka called on the new Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to use his office to employ youths in the zone, adding that it would stop what he called another Boko Haram in the south east if not curtailed.

He praised Buhari's war against corruption, saying it had enthroned due process and sanity in governance.

The cleric, however, urged Nigerians to be patient with the president as he had good plans for the country.

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Biafra: MASSOB hits back at Mbaka

…says comment on Biafra is shameful, selfish

From PETRUS OBI, Enugu - The SUN.

Movement for the Actualization of a Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has condemned recent statement credited to Enugu Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Mbaka against the agitation for Biafra describing his utterances as insensitive, un-guided and selfish.

In a statement issued to newsmen in Enugu MASSOB Director of Information Comrade Uchenna Madu expressed shock that a revered Igbo clergy “will descend so low to make such a condemnable statement few days after Buhari’s wife visited him.

“Mr President should be aware that no amount of persuasion and friendship with Mbaka can frustrate or diminish the rising status, consciousness and global re awakening/acceptance of Biafra.

“A man who speak with both sides of the mouth at a time is a hypocrite and is not worthy to be trusted. The Igbo Christians, Catholics and even The Pope will prove Mbaka wrong. Other Igbo clergy including Catholic priests are not in support of Mbaka’s anti Biafra comment.

“This is why the Igbo youths and other citizens have lost confidence and trust on many Igbo leaders in Nigeria.

“Biafra agitators are more determined to sacrifice our shops, businesses, jobs, comfort and even the supreme price for the sake of our freedom.

“Mbaka himself benefited from the protests as his business through products like Aqua Rapha satchet/bottle water and Yogurts boomed as the demonstration lasted.

During a sermon at his weekly Adoration Ministry in Enugu on Saturday Mbaka had condemned the recent agitation and protests for Biafra describing the action as `evil.'

The cleric urged youths in the South East and South-South to go back to their business as the protest could lead to their death.

"Locking up your shops and disrupting economic activities will not add any naira to your pocket, whatever grievance you have could be resolved through dialogue.

He lambasted those leaders that were behind the agitation and protests, saying that they should use their children for the struggle

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Biafra: Kanu's mum, sister lead protest

As IPOD members march on Umuahia

From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia and Petrus Obi, Enugu

The 'release-Nnamdi-Kanu' protest sweeping across the South-East and South-South took a new dimension, with the mother and sister of the detained Radio Biafra director joining a protest organised by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOD), yesterday in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State.

The protesting party took off from Port Harcourt on Sunday morning, with IPOD members trekking to Aba and then, Umuahia. As they trekked to Aba, the number increased.

On getting to Ubakala, close to Umuahia on Sunday night, the group was accosted by security personnel who attempted to disperse them but failed.

The protesters passed the night at Ubakala, from where they were joined by Kanu's mum, Ugo Eze Sally Nnenne Kanu and sister, Princess Chichi Kanu as early as 5.30am yesterday.

From Ubakala, the protesters surged towards Umuahia, bearing placards with messages demanding Kanu's release. The pro-Biafra protesters, who bore the Biafra flag, sang solidarity songs as they called for the release of their leader. The protest caused an unprecedented gridlock on the roads and streets of Umuahia.

The protesters marched through major streets of Umuahia, under the watch of security operatives who followed them from place to place, including Isi Court, in Umuahia South, Old Umuahia Road, Aba Road, Umuwaya Road, Isi Gate, Bende Road, Enugu Road and Ama Hausa, among others. One of the protesters taunted Umuahia indigenes, shouting that they should come out and join the protest, as Kanu is their son.

Before dispersing, the protesters said they would converge again today to continue the protest, which is expected to last for three days. IPOD members have been protesting in major cities in the South-East and South-South, demanding Kanu's immediate release, who was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a related development, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigeria Army, Enugu, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru yesterday warned pro-Biafra activists in the South-East and South-South of its powers to suppress insurrection whenever the need arises.

Addressing newsmen in Enugu, yesterday, the GOC said: "These activities include protest marches, demonstrations and some reported cases of outright lawlessness and threat to lives and property.

"These demonstrations are being orchestrated by the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), IPOB and other affiliated groups. These agitations and protests have led to an increased sense of insecurity across the regions."

The GOC, who was represented by Col. Hamza Gambo from the Public Relations Department noted that while freedom of expression and peaceful assembly is guaranteed, the law does not allow for abuse of other person's freedom and safety.

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Biafra: Mbaka gives condition to support protest

• Ugwuanyi hails him on employment

From Chinedu Asadu, Enugu

SPIRITUAL Director of Catholic Adoration Ministries Enugu, Rev. Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, has given one condition on which he would support the ongoing pro-Biafra protests in the South-East and part of the South-South.

Mbaka said he would only support the agitation if those behind it come out to lead the struggle.

He warned that the protests are capable of snowballing into a huge crisis of the scale associated with Boko Haram if not curtailed now.

Fr. Mbaka spoke during the launch of new products, Rapha Groundnut oil, Rapha Soya Oil and Rapha Carbonated Drinks, produced by his company, Aqua Rapha Investments Limited. He is chairman of the company.

Speaking, he lambasted those still fueling the pro- Biafra protests, saying it was capable of scaring away investors from the region.

He had, earlier in the week, incurred the wrath of Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) when he described the protests as 'evil'.

His words: "If this nation collapses, it is on us all. If things go well, it is for our own good. I want you to know that if there is any of you here that is oppressed, we are being oppressed too. What I am begging is that things should be done in the right way. Because, if we continue like this, all the visions the governors of Igboland have, vision for employment and economic diversification, will be frustrated.

"No investor can come into a city filled with crises. So, wherever you are, saying, 'let them (the protesters) move on', the only way I can support it is when you join them. So, please, I am begging all of us, let us join hands and develop our place, Igboland."

He also assured Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who was at the launch that his company would always support his administration.

Also speaking, Ugwuanyi commended him for using his company to provide 4,500 jobs for the people of the state.

Ugwuanyi noted that the state government is interested in such business initiatives, which create jobs for the people, as well as turn around the state's economic fortunes, pointing out that there are enormous benefits that would accrue from his company.

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Jonathan’s men sponsoring pro-Biafran protests – Group

Written by Eniola Akinkuotu - Punch, Nigeria.

A pan-Igbo group, The Igbo Conscience, says some former political office holders who served in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan were behind the Biafran revolt.

The TIC said this was why the protests gained momentum immediately after Jonathan was defeated at the poll.

The leader of the group, Mr. Monday Ubani, who is a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, said this at a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday.

Ubani noted that during Jonathan’s administration, many Igbo politicians were given juicy appointments.

He, however, added that the appointments did not improve the standard of living of the people of the South-East.

He said, “As recently as six months ago, the Igbo occupied and boasted of occupying prime positions in the country during the six years of President Jonathan’s rule. Why is it that immediately after the defeat of the past regime in March, the cries of Igbo marginalisation rose to high heavens with slanderous allegations against the President-elect?

“What were the merits the Ndigbo derived from this much-vaunted strategic placing in critical positions for six years? Should the Igbo be crying of marginalisation just a few months after sitting on the upper echelons of the country’s political and economic spheres if these political beneficiaries benefitted the Ndigbo with their positions?

“Should roads and other facilities in the South-East be as dilapidated as they are today if we benefitted from these former office holders, some of whom are sponsoring the present agitations?”

Ubani said many Igbo youths had been brainwashed into believing that secession was the only way to address national problems.

He said even the late leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said that the Biafran struggle was a “struggle of the mind and not a physical one.”

He noted that countries like Pakistan and South Sudan, which seceded from India and Sudan respectively, had not fared better even after attaining independence.

He, therefore, urged the protesting youths to have a rethink.

Ubani said the philosophy of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra was at variance with Ojukwu’s and that was why the late Igbo leader never identified with MASSOB.

He said the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was an impostor and did not have the interests of the Igbo at heart.

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Biafra: Count us out, S-South tells agitators

By Emma Amaize, Emeka Mamah, Innocent Anaba, Anayo Okoli, Nwabueze Okonkwo, Francis Igata & Chimaobi Nwaiwu - Vanguard. 

Warns pro-Biafra protesters to avoid South-South territories

Uyo -The ethnic nationalities of the South- South geo-political zone, yesterday, denounced demands for Biafra by Igbo in the South-East zone and called for an immediate cessation of pro-Biafra protests on their soil.

This came as the South East Governors Forum, SEGF, summoned an emergency meeting of Igbo leaders to discuss the persisting protests by members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which have paralysed economic activities in the old Eastern region.

In a 10-point communique issued at Uyo at the end of a meeting held under the auspices of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the South-South at Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, chaired by HRM, Obong (Dr) EU Ekidem, Ntisong Ibibio III, the Ntisong of Ibibio land, they dissociated the South-South zone from the "so-called Biafra."

Representatives of Ibibio, Efik, Anang, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ikwerre, Oro, Isoko and several other nationalities attended the summit. Among them were the interim chair of the group, HRM Ekidem, Convener of the meeting and Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILoT, Delta state, Barrister Edward Ekpoko, Albert Akpomudje, SAN (Urhobo) and president general of Ogbakor- Ikwerre in Rivers state, Prof A.M Onyeozu.

Pastor Nelson CocoBassey (Efik ethnic nationality), Ulap Bidiak Uloh (Oro ethnic nationality), Amechi Ogbonnia (Itsekiri), Obong Ukpong Umoh and Obong Aniedi Ndem were at the conference and signed the communique.

The South South nationalities said, "We will not allow any inch of the land of the ethnic nationalities mentioned above and other lands of the South-South to be part of the ill-thought-out enterprise.

"We call for a halt to demonstrations for Biafra on our land henceforth as it touches on the collective sensibilities of our people and could provoke ethnic crisis.

"We are not only surprised but shocked that Igbos who returned to Nigeria after the fall of Biafra in January 15, 1970 with tales of woes and horrors can talk about Biafra."

They added: "It is in the interest of Igbos that Nigeria is protected as they have more investments outside their homeland."

The Conference called on governors, political leaders and traditional rulers of the South-East geopolitical zone to "speak out now as their silence is becoming eloquent." Furthermore, the South-South ethnic nationalities urged "well-meaning Igbos to call their children/wards to order to prevent an avoidable crisis."

"We call on the law enforcement agencies to be more vigilant.

"We believe in one Nigeria and will do all within our power to protect the unity of Nigeria," they stated.

A call for peace

The South East Governors' position was contained in a communique issued after a meeting of the governors in Enugu yesterday. The communique read by the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha after the meeting at the Government House Enugu in the evening said.

"The South East Governors met today (yesterday) November 17, 2015, and deliberated on a number of issues and resolved as follows:

"To appoint a high level Economic Advisory Committee to harness the economic potentials of the people of the South East working together.

"The governors are concerned about the poor state of the Federal Government roads in the zone namely the Enugu - Onitsha, Aba- Ikot Ekpene , Owerri - Port Harcourt, Enugu - Port Harcourt, among others which need urgent intervention by the Federal Government.

"On security, the issue of MASSOB/ IPOB, was discussed and they resolved to consult widely with Ohanaeze (Ndigbo), traditional rulers, development unions, clergy, and other stakeholders on how to ensure lasting peace in the zone. In furtherance to this, the South East Governors scheduled an emergency meeting of stakeholders on Sunday, November 22, 2015, at Enugu. "Expected to attend the emergency meeting include all National Assembly members, all ministers and other invited stakeholders from the zone.

"They meanwhile, advised MASSOB/IPOB to continue to toe the line of peace as this is the only way to ensure economic development of the zone."

Those who signed the communique included Governors Okorocha, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr Nkem Okeke, who stood in for Governor Willie Obiano. The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi who lost his mother recently was absent at the meeting and no reasons were given for his absence.

Answering reporters' questions on which faction of Ohanaeze the governors wished to work with, in view of the disunity within the group, Okorocha said that "whatever is available as Ohanaeze, we will see to it" that they participate.

He said also, said that there was no vacuum in the leadership of the governors' forum as any of them could be chairman. The forum has not had a substantive chairman since the exit of the former Governor of Abia State, Ochendo Theodore Oji, who is now in the senate.

Itsekiri, Warri territories not Biafra-INYC

In tandem with the communiqué issued in Uyo, President of the Itsekiri National Youth Congress, INYC, Esimaje Awani in a statement in Warri, Delta State, yesterday, warned that "Itsekiri and its territories should not be included in any IPOB or Biafran plan."

He stated that Itsekiri were an indigenous ethnic group of Nigeria's Niger Delta region of Delta State presently resident in the Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West Local Government Areas bordering the Atlantic Coast of Nigeria as their homeland with their only neighbours being the Bini to the North, the Ijaw to the South, the Urhobo to the East and the Yoruba of Ondo State to the Northwest.

Awani noted that from about 1490 – 1884, the Itsekiri had an independent political kingdom known as Warri Kingdom that was not subordinate to any of the World Powers in Europe or any African Kingdom, adding that it was in 1894 when the Niger Coast Protectorate was established that it came under the protection of Her Britannic Majesty vide the Treaty of 1884.

According to him, by another Treaty of 1894, the Itsekiri remained under the British until the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria was created and in 1914, without consultation with the Itsekiri people, Lord Lugard decreed Nigeria into existence and made Warri Kingdom (Itsekiri homeland) part of this enterprise.

He said by the map of The Republic of Biafra of May 1967, Edo and Delta states of Nigeria was never envisioned as a part of Biafra by the legendary Chukwuemeka Dim Ojukwu, saying that the current inclusion of present Delta State, including the Itsekiri National territories of Warri Kingdom without due consultation is preposterous, totally unacceptable and ultimately invalid.

"IPOB and Biafra have their rights of agitation for freedom of self determination as enshrined in the United Nations declaration, but other minority ethnic groups not duly consulted and their approval secured should not be dragged along to avoid the mistake that led to the civil war.

"The magnanimity of Itsekiri in allowing Igbos celebrate the Igbo Cultural Day in our land should not be taken for granted as we urge IPOB to de-list Itsekiri territories and Warri areas from its proposed map," he said.

Cabal leadership

Spurred by President Muhammadu Buhari's stance on the indivisibility of Nigeria,a faction of MASSOB,yesterday, asserted that the people of Eastern Nigeria are bent on secession.

MASSOB frowned at the skewed structural existence of Nigeria insisting that it favoured no ethnic group rather the 'cabals'.

Factional Director of Information,MASSOB,Mr. Uchenna Madu disclosed this in a statement to newsmen noting that,"Nigeria in the realexistence favours no ethnic group but only the cabals,politicians,high profile personalities. Biafranism is deeply rooted in consciousness of every Igboman and major ethnic groups in the South-South geopolitical zone.

"The Biafran referendum that will be conducted by the United Nations,UN,will testify to our popularity and acceptance by Biafrans. We view the Nigerian Army's decision to hit Biafran protesters as a rancour of jittery and dislocated institution. "Non-violent Biafra agitators are very much disappointed and amazed that the Nigerian military will descend so low in threatening the non violent Biafra agitators. The military should not heat up the polity. The threat from the Army is a wrong signal to Nigeria because the current Biafra is heavily rooted outside Nigeria. We shall remain non-violent in our pursuit for Biafra."

MASSOB went further to describe Buhari's second coming as a vendetta mission, and he has not hidden it from the way he is marginalizing the South East .

"As the President of Nigeria, he can never openly agree that there is something wrong with the unity of Nigeria, but in his mind and in the mind of his people, oneness of Nigeria is now a thing of the past and President Buhari himself is promoting division with his recent appointments and the ones he did some months ago.

"In the last six months of President Buhari's administration, he has not hidden his hatred for the South East. Even his northern brothers are supporting him and have refused to call him to order over, the type of marginalization the South East has been witnessing in the past six months of his administration or thereabouts.

"President Buhari is not pretending about it, and his Northern brothers are equally not pretending, if they have a way of exterminating or wiping the South East out of Nigeria, they will do that, but it is not going to be easy for them, and so they should stop deceiving Nigerians that they stand for oneness of Nigeria, they are not at all interested in one Nigeria" he said.

Negotiating Kanu's release

Meantime, the youth wing of the Igbo apex socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Youth Council [OYC] has said that it would convene a meeting of Igbo youths stakeholders next Tuesday in Enugu to seek solution to the wave of protests in South East and parts of South South by pro-Biafran groups.

Meanwhile, the Council has urged President Buhari to ignore those urging him to declare a state of emergency in the South East zone over the wave of protests by Biafran agitators, saying that anybody recommending declaration of state of emergency or military engagement as the best solution to the escalating protests for self-rule by Biafran groups is deceptive and economical with the truth.

OYC said it decided to call the meeting as a result of the failure of an earlier stakeholders meeting scheduled yesterday by South East Governors initiated by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

A statement signed by the National President of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and the Secretary, Okwu Nnabuike, said named those expected at the Enugu meeting include youth leaders of all communities in Igbo land, including Igbo-speaking communities in Delta and Rivers States and representatives of MASSOB and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB].

A case for discontinuation of protests

In a similar vein, the Abia State government has urged the groups, notably The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra IPOB and (MASSOB) to discontinue their protests, saying that their message has been communicated and their voices heard nationally and internationally.

The government advised the groups to engage the Federal Government in dialogue rather than street protests which it said could be hijacked by trouble makers and detractors.

Abia government also warned that the entire South East could not afford militancy at this period of time and urged the groups to change their strategy.

According to the government, the pro-Biafra groups have made their statement on their demand for the release of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the Director of Radio Biafra and believed that the message has reached the highest places of power.

A statement issued by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu's spokesman, Godwin Adindu said that "Government observed that though the protest [on Monday] has been largely peaceful in Abia State without any incident of violence, it actually disturbed the socio-economic life of the state, hence the need for the pro-Biafra groups to change strategy from street marches to peaceful negotiation with the Federal Government.

Faulting Army's riot act

A human right group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety yesterday faulted the Nigerian Army for threatening to crush members of Indegenous People of Biafra, IPOB who are currently protesting in all parts of Southeast and Southsouth zones over the continued detention of its leader and Director of Radio of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

It stated that the stern warning was totally misguided, vexatious, shallow, dubiously intended and constitutionally incoherent, adding that it was also grossly misdirected, as it ought to have been directed to the Boko Haram terror insurgents who have severally disclosed their intention to violently destroy the country's existence socio-legal system and put in place radical Islamic theocracy.

According to Intersociety, "We wish to warn and remind the leadership of the Nigerian Army not to forget that there still exists International Criminal Court and other formidable local and international mechanisms through which its commanding officers found engaged in "brutal suppression or quelling" of ongoing peaceful and non violent protests shall be held accountable for crimes against humanity".

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Call Fr. Mbaka to order - Bishop

Written by David Onwuchekwa(TheSUN), Nnewi.

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka

FEW days after Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka said he would support pro-Biafran agitators only if "their sponsors take the lead in any protest," the General Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministries (a.k.a By Fire By Fire), Nnewi, Anambra State, Rt. Rev. Bishop Abraham Chris Udeh has called on Catholic Bishops to call the fiery priest to order.

Bishop Udeh said Fr. Mbaka was dancing to the dictates of those he described as the ememies of the Igbos who also allegedly sponsored him to work against his Igbo brothers. He claimed that Fr. Mbaka allegedly worked against former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 general elections leading to his loss, claiming he had started to work against the actualization of Biafra.

"It appears you people (the media) are afraid to tell Mbaka the truth. Why should he be working against Igbo interest and everybody will keep quiet. Even the Catholic Bishops do not want to call him to order. He is not talking prophetically. Is the Buhari he projected to succeed Jonathan working for the interest of Ndigbo? Can't we reason? That is the question we should ask ourselves", Bishop Udeh said.

He noted that Fr. Mbaka would live to see Biafra stand. The bishop said he will continue to support the agitation until the Igbo marginalization was addressed.

He lambasted some Igbo leaders for keeping quiet over the arrest and continued detention of the Director of Radio Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kanu "because they are contented with their political positions and the crumbs from the table in Abuja." He said those politicians were only after their own pockets and not the interest of the Igbos.

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Ohanaeze Ndigbo demand unconditional release of Radio Biafra director, draws condemnation from MASSOB and IPOB

~The Guardian

APEX Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on the Federal Government to arrest the current Biafra agitations from deteriorating, stressing that the release of the Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, would defuse the protests.

But representatives of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) shunned the Imeobi meeting over what they described as the "silence of Ohanaeze leadership on Nnamdi Kanu's detention and worldwide Biafra demonstrations and protests more than a month now.

A statement by MASSOB's Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, added that "some prominent Ohanaeze chieftains have openly and disgracefully condemned and disowned us," and demanded a retraction of their earlier position.

Rising from her expanded Imeobi meeting held at its secretariat in Enugu yesterday however, Ohanaeze, which expressed concern by current widespread and public Biafra agitations, also recommended that treating Kanu's case, which has been the focal point of the public protests, as more political than a security matter would further assuage the protesters.

Meeting formerly for the first time since the Biafra agitations began, Ohanaeze in a seven-point communiqué released after their meeting, stated that the agitations and protests had become exacerbated by the continued detention of Kanu, fearing that the development may threaten the security and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians wherever they may be domiciled.

The communiqué signed by its President-General, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey and Secretary General, Dr Joe Nworgu, further warned:

"The Imeobi Ohanaeze strongly deprecates any attempt to drag the current grave situation and public expression of Ndigbo over their exclusion from the Nigerian nation into the realm of partisan politics and warns all those who may be so inclined that they shall bear the full consequences of their actions.

"The Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo notes that Ndigbo are nation-builders who are found in all parts of Nigeria and cautions that all actions and activities which threaten the security and harmonious co-existence of all Nigerians whatever they may be domiciled is dangerous and must not be encouraged. In particular, the Imeobi believes that current public protests, howbeit peaceful, is disruptive of the market economy of the South-East zone and strongly recommends that they be discontinued immediately in favour of dialogue and constructive engagement in the resolution of the underlying issues.

"The Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, anxious that dialogue shall replace public protests, further recommends the immediate creation of an adhoc national platform that shall address immediate causes that have triggered the present public protests, and revisit and redress latent and long-standing issues that have continued to threaten the evolution of Nigeria into a modern and united nation where all constituent parts have an equal sense of belonging."

As a way of solving the socio-economic problems bedeviling parts of the country, especially the South-East and South-South youths, Ohanaeze called on governors of the two regions to create massive employment opportunities for the youths to ameliorate the restive situation.

It renewed her stand on the 2014 National Conference document for any discourse in the country, just as it appreciated those calling for caution in handling the issue of Biafra agitators.

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Bloody pro-Biafran protests in Onitsha • Soldier, cop, four others feared killed, mosque burnt

Written by Leke Baiyewu and Tony Okafor, The Punch Nigeria.

A soldier was killed on Wednesday in a clash between security agencies and pro-Biafran protesters, the Indigenous People of Biafra, who equally alleged that four of their members were killed in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The Onitsha Central Mosque was also razed by suspected protesters while several vehicles were either vandalised or set on fire during the mayhem.

Unconfirmed reports said the IPOB members were killed around 1.30am on Wednesday at the Niger Bridge head area of Onitsha, where the agitators used as a rallying point to prepare for the day’s protests in various parts of Onitsha.

A lady, whose name could not be ascertained, was said to have been allegedly shot dead by soldiers on patrol at the Onitsha/Owerri road.

A man, who claimed to be an eyewitness, said he saw the body of a soldier after he was killed close to the head Bridge Market, Onitsha.

Bonfires were made in strategic points in Onitsha by the IPOB members, who were chanting war songs and calling President Muhammadu Buhari derogatory names.

They were said to have resorted to violence after the story of their dead members filtered into town.

This, an eyewitness told one of our correspondents, prompted the secessionist group members to torch vehicles and target other property.

As they protested, they made bonfires and barricaded major roads.

Apprehensive of the situation, banks, schools and other business premises hurriedly shut their offices and shops while the people fled to safer areas.

Speaking to journalists later, the IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, alleged that military men had killed four of the protesters.

Powerful added, “The soldiers killed four of our men at the Bridge Head Market at about 1.30am this morning, without any of them committing any offence.

“The soldiers came with the police, Civil Defence, DSS (Directorate of State Services) and others and attacked our men because we are non violent.

“We will continue the protest in Onitsha tomorrow (Thursday) unless the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is released by President Mohammadu Buhari.”

Powerful, however, refused to disclose the names of those who were allegedly killed by soldiers neither were their bodies displayed.

Curiously, no security presence was noticed in Onitsha till late evening as the secessionist group literally took over the commercial town.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ali Okechukwu, described the situation as hectic.

Okechukwu, who denied knowledge of any death in the mayhem in a telephone interview, said, “It is a hectic situation because these people, since yesterday (Tuesday), blocked the Onitsha/Enugu Expressway in Onitsha with heavy duty vehicles.

“The Commissioner of Police sent me there to use Igbo to talk to them, but they were even howling at security men. They said they were a non-violent group, but in this case, they were riotous.

“We have been trying to clear the roads with towing vans so that people can pass through the road because people have been there for two days now.

“I’m not aware of any killing or destruction of any property.”

Okechukwu later confirmed that a police sergeant, attached to MOPOL 3 Enugu, was killed in the Onitsha mayhem.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told one of our correspondents that two policemen were killed in the riot.

In a broadcast to the people of the state later on Wednesday, the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, vowed to enforce the law to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Obiano said this had become necessary to avoid a situation where the protest was hijacked by miscreants, who might capitalise on the situation to destabilise any part of the state.

The governor added, “As your governor and the Chief Security Officer of the state, I am compelled to act to avert any likely breakdown of law and order. In all situations, the preservation of human life comes first and I am determined to enforce that.

“I therefore, sincerely appeal to the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, MASSOB and other aggrieved groups and individuals to maintain the peace and resist any attempt by hoodlums to take advantage of the situation and destabilise any part of Anambra State.

“I am in constant touch with all the security agencies in the state to ensure that what has otherwise been a peaceful protest is not hijacked by trouble makers. All mischief-makers are hereby warned to keep off as we will not tolerate any breach of peace under any guise or pretext. You are seriously warned!”

Reacting to the development, a former Governor of the old Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, wondered who suffered more between the government they were protesting against and Igbo people in the South-East.

He said the protests had affected socio-economic activities in the region while condemning the continued detention of Kanu.

Ezeife said, “One, what does the government gain in keeping Nnamdi Kanu in detention? These five people, who are said to have been killed, how do we respond to it? For our people – the youths – we understand the basis of their protests. The basis is the way by which the South-East is (being) treated by the present government.

“While they were protesting what happened before, the ministerial list came out. They should now judge whether the protests have led to improvement on how the government perceives the South-East. And today, some people have been killed.”

He stated that it was time for pro-Biafra agitators to re-evaluate their strategy. Also, a foundation member of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Political Adviser to the ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. ABC Nwosu, berated the protesters for not following the agreement reached at the meeting of all Igbo stakeholders on Sunday.

Nwosu, who is a former Minister of Health in the Obasanjo’s cabinet, lamented that despite the mutual agreement reached with the protesters at a meeting on Sunday, their activities had led to more deaths.

He said, “The new development is exceedingly dangerous and should stop immediately; it is extremely dangerous and should not continue. I attended a meeting called by Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Sunday and I read the communiqué. It called for the protests to seize and advised the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu on the Radio Biafra matter.

“We don’t need a martyr or a hero in this struggle. We have advised dialogue. So many dialogues have now been opened. Anybody who is escalating the protests is not acting in the interest of the people. The point has been made.”

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Still on pro- Biafra agitation

I have had cause to discuss this growing pro-Biafra protest in a previous article which I entitled "Ominous signals from Biafran agitators". I am again compelled to return to this due to the growing agitation which is leaving a lot of deaths in its trail and also the growing trend among a few friends from the South east who have continued to offer surreptitious support for the agitators. But let me reproduce part of that previous article.

'The protest began…in Enugu and has gradually moved to most parts of the south east states. In many instances, the agitation had turned violent with a few of the youths being killed in the process. One tends to ask, what is it that Kanu and its predecessor, the Movement for the Actualisation of Biafra (MASSOB) want? A separate country? How realistic is that proposition? Isn't it a largely unrealizable dream. If in the 60s, this was not achievable, leading to about four years of civil war with its attendant loss of lives, property and the trauma, how possible is that about 40years later, with the wider integration that had taken place since then. There have been intermarriages across the ethnic divide. Not only that, there is practically no part of this country that my Igbo brothers, some of who are very good friends and colleagues, are not operating one form of business or the other.

Infact, they have constituted them- selves into the commerce and economic live-wires of the communities they had settled in over the years. Are we going to be talking about the Ladipo spare parts market in Lagos? So what happens, if in the remotest possibility that their agitation becomes successful? The Yorubas, who know next to nothing would now take over that market,selling all manners of 'original fake spare parts'.

Such is best left to the imagination. What about the traders themselves? They all have to relocate to the east before their adventurous spirit plays up and they start coming back, either legitimately or illegitimately. How would that horde of people leaving the different parts of the country be accommodated in the east where we have always known, has limited land mass?

Of course, that is not peculiar to the east alone. Imagine telling all the Yorubas across Nigeria to return to the south west with all they have. Where would they all be accommodated?"

I also looked at what should constitute the new Biafra in that article. "What is that geographical entity called Biafra? Are we talking of Biafra of the Pre-civil war era which constitutes the present day south east and south south? Is the new Biafra that the agitators want to carve out as a separate entity going to constitute only the five south east states?" Another major issue is that of marginalization and being treated as second class citizens as claimed by the pro-Biafran agitators.

Today, I am particularly concerned that nobody seems to be looking at the agitation for all it's worth. Rather, what agencies of government are doing is sabre-rattling. Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sani Usman said it was the duty of soldiers to intervene in any situation to avoid a breakdown of law and order adding that soldiers would be deployed as appropriate and warned, "It is inexcusable for troops to stand aside without intervening and watch the security situation deteriorate, leading to loss of lives, damage to property."

Also the General Officer Commanding of the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army, Hassan Umaru, warned the agitators, " the Nigerian Army would like to send an unequivocal warning to all and sundry, more specifically to all those threatening and agitating for the dismemberment of the country, committing treasonable felony and arson as well as wanton destruction of lives and property.

Once deployed, we shall apply the ROE [Rules of Engagement] to the latter (letter). It is however hoped that such circumstances would not arise that we should be deployed on such operations because, within the ambit of the law, we shall apply the ROE to the fullest," he said. The same threat is also coming from the police which has vowed that it would also maximally exercise its statutory mandate, " in relation to prevention and disruption of any gathering that threatens public peace".

From all indications, the above is likely to exacerbate the situation the more. We have started seeing this with the growing casualty and destruction of property as the pro-Biafran agitators clash with security operatives. On Wednesday, the entire Onitsha was shut down, with many commuters stranded. A friend claimed to have walked across the River Niger bridge towards Asaba. Which is quite a distance. But of greater concern is the attitude of some people I felt should know better, but see nothing wrong in the agitation.

A friend in the media industry, though from the south east, asked on social media; why is it that the south west and the north afraid of Igbos' agitation for separate country? What his question implied is that the north and south west are afraid of the Igbos leaving the 'union'? Of course a few people took him on.

And my take is that leaving the union is not the issue , but the attendant problems that such move would create. I never feel the agitators actually want to leave, but are trying to draw the attention of the whole country to the situation in that part of the country, quite understandable.

But my 'friend's attitude came as a surprise. Even if he would not discourage the agitators, I never felt he should also encourage them, violence and tragic events like being presently experienced is not what the country needs now. Most importantly, the federal government should understand and tackle the problem behind the agitation… before it's too late.

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Muslim leaders urge caution over pro-Biafra violence

• MASSOB insists on peaceful struggle

• Anyim distances self from agitators

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III,

NIGERIAN Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of the President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, yesterday cautioned Muslim faithful across Nigeria against reprisal attacks following Wednesday's burning of Central Mosque in Onitsha state and trucks believed to be owned by a Nigerian business giant.

This is coming on the heels of reports that some people from the northern part of the country are fleeing into Asaba , the Delta State capital to seek refuge following protests in Onitsha yesterday.

A trader, who simply gave his name as Suleiman, lamented that he had left all his belongings behind in Onitsha, as he was afraid that the pro-Biafra activists might attack him.

Another trader, Adamu from Bauchi State, confessed that he was not

comfortable staying in Onitsha, as the protesters had threatened to harm him or throw him into the River Niger if he did not go home.

In a related development, Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) however, dissociated itself from the violence.

The zonal leader of MASSOB in Delta North, Mr. Chinedu Amaifeobu, said that MASSOB was not a violent group and condemned alleged acts of violence being perpetrated by unidentified people.

He said: "MASSOB is not in support of the killings and destruction of property. We are not against any group in Igbo land,

not to the extent of killing innocent people and destroying property." He insisted that there was no faction in MASSOB as allegedly being speculated. Mr. Raphael Uwazulike remains the founder and leader of the group worldwide," he said.

Meanwhile, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim has distanced himself from allegations that he is one of the sponsors of the pro-Biafra agitation going on in the South-east and some parts of the South-south.

A statement issued by the media aide to Anyim, Sam Nwaobasi on Wednesday said the report is false and amounts to "taking rascality and mischief too far".

Anyim said there has been persistent "bare-faced lies, fabrication of baseless stories and peddling of rumours on phantom issues that make no meaning or sense" published in the media, since leaving office as the SGF in May this year, all with the aim of embarrassing or ridiculing and inciting the public against him.

He warned "those behind the dastardly and mischievous acts to stop forthwith".

In the same vein, President of Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazurike, cautioned those he described as 'peaceful protesters' to be wary of infiltrators who are thirsty for blood. He said although it is right asking for Kanu's release, some people on both sides of the divide could be itching to settle scores.

"They should be careful because there are people who are trying to hijack this peaceful protest; they are people from both sides, those in favour of Biafra and those fighting on behalf of the Nigerian government. There are people who are looking for opportunity to cause violence," he said.

According to the NSCIA, the arsonists are neither representing a particular religious group nor carrying any ethnic identity, but should be treated as criminally minded persons who want to plunge the nation into turmoil.

Abubakar who was represented by the Secretary General of the NSCIA Professor Ishiaq Oloyede at a press briefing in Ilorin, said any attempt to repel evil with evil was unIslamic and therefore should be shunned by all Moslem faithful across the nation.

Quoting copiously from Quoran, he said Islam forbade the burning of any designated worship centers especially churches, monasteries and mosques just as he urged Nigerian security agents to henceforth provide adequate protection for all faithful worshipers irrespective of their areas of domicile.

He said, "the NSCIA notes with distress the unfortunate and unprovoked attacks on Muslims and the Central Mosque of Onitsha, Anambra State, yesterday, Wednesday, December 2, 2015.

The perpetrators of the dastardly acts, which culminated in the loss of lives and burning of trucks owned by a prominent Muslim businessman only sought to provoke inter-religious crises and thereby get Nigeria further embroiled in needless bloodletting.

Muslims, must as a matter of principle, resist the temptation of being drawn to retaliation. They should consider the perpetrators as criminals and not representative of any ethnic or religious group.

"The NSCIA calls on all Chief Imams to utilise the Minbar tomorrow to preach, peace, justice and restraints. Two wrongs do not make a right. Innocent persons should not be made to suffer as a result of the act of few misguided individuals."

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Biafra: MASSOB, IPOB to halt demonstrations

WRITTEN BY FRANCIS IGATA - Vanguard, Nigeria

ENUGU – The ground swell protests staged by the members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over the continued detention of the Director, Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has been halted, following the resolve of the two pro-Biafra groups to give Federal Government room for dialogue.

Protesters in the south-east and parts of south-south geopolitical zones had vowed to continue demonstrations until they actualize Biafra which prompted governors from the region,under the aegis of South-East Governors Forum,SEGF, to push for a dialogue to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu among other issues of neglect and marginalzation of the people in a meeting held in Enugu Government House.

In a joint resolution signed by Ugwuoke Ibem,National Secretary,MASSOB, and Emma Powerful,Spokesman of IPOB, which read in parts: “We have decided to halt our demonstration,protest to pave way for the much published dialogue on Nnamdi Kanu’s release. Our withdrawal from the major cities of Biafraland is not out of cowardice but to prove maturity,professionalism as a decent self determined group.

“We hereby issue an ultimatum to the Federal Government to prove their seriousness and sincerity on the much published dialogue on the release of Nnamdi Kanu. We shall continue with our non violence self determination on Biafra. MASSOB,IPOB will never relent or backside on the agitation for Biafra actualization. We condemn the stupidity,sabotage statement of Ralph Uwazuruike that IPOB, MASSOB introduced violence in Biafra struggle.

“Uwazuruike is a drowning man who is living on yesterday shadow. Uwazuruike has lost his grip on Biafra issues because of his deviation,compromise,open romance with Nigeria Government which has grossly affected his personality. We warn Uwazuruike and his brainwashed group to stop dragging MASSOB,IPOB into a shameless,naked dance of visionless, missionless,blind existence.”

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Biafra agitators take protest to Alaba Market in Lagos

Written by: Naza Okoli, Lagos - Nigerian Tribune.

Biafran agitators,on Wednesday, stormed the popular Alaba International Market in Lagos State, causing gridlock which lasted more than two hours along the busy market road.

Wielding the Biafran flag, the protesters chanted various songs.

One of the agitators who did not wish to be named said the protest would continue at the marketon Thursday.

"We are here to let the whole world know that it is time for Biafra to become an independent country. We are all calling on the Federal Government to immediately release Mr Nnamdi Kanu because he hasn't done anything wrong.

"Many things are not going on well in this country and our politicians are not listening to us at all. We have fought the war; we are not planning to fight another war.Tomorrow(today) will be the main protest. All we want is for the government to hear our cry and give us our Biafra. We want to go. We are Biafrans."

The protest continued even after the arrival of policemen led by a senior officer who identified himself simply as the Area Commander.

"We are not permitted to speak with the press," he said.

The officers, who eventually helped to maintain order and control traffic, monitored the protest until it ended at about1:20 p.m.at the entrance of the Electrical Dealers Section of the market.

The President-General of Alaba International Market, Mr Chijioke Paul Okenwa, who spoke with Tribune Online after the protest, said his members would not support any action that would disrupt the peace they enjoyed at the market.

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Court orders Kanu’s release, five die as pro-Biafran supporters, soldiers clash

Written by Ade Adesomoju, Ihuoma Chiedozie and Tony Okafor - Punch, Nigeria. 

No fewer than five persons died in Onitsha on Thursday following the wild jubilation that greeted the court judgment, ordering the release of the leader, Independent Peoples of Biafra and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

Twenty persons were also said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries after the supporters reportedly clashed with some soldiers and policemen in the Anambra State commercial city.

According to a source, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, trouble began when soldiers and other security agencies on guard clashed with the pro-Biafran jubilant agitators.

The incident, which occurred at the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge, reportedly caused panic among motorists and commuters, who fled in different directions to safety.

The IPOB members had, on hearing the court’s verdict ordering Kanu’s release, converged on the location of the statute of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in large numbers for a procession.

Their celebration was, however, cut short following the intervention of soldiers and policemen, who arrived at the scene to put them in check.

“When the jubilant IPOB members were asked to stop their match towards the Niger Bridge, the group bluntly refused, and this triggered a disagreement between the traders and IPOB members and later degenerated into violence,” an eyewitness told one of our correspondents.

“It was at this juncture that the soldiers started shooting sporadically, probably in a bid to scare away the crowd of IPOB members, that the five IPOB members were killed by stray bullets.”

In the confusion, motorists and commuters, who could not bear the heavy gunshots, jumped out of their vehicles and ran in different directions.

“The IPOB members threw pebbles at the soldiers, who retaliated by shooting at them,” the source added.

The Chairman of Fundamental Rights League International, Mike Umezulike, condemned the alleged killing, saying the protest of the IPOB members was peaceful, wondering why the soldiers would shoot at them.

Umezulike said, “Do you know that the Naval officers at the Uga Junction always order civilians to frogmarch whenever they commit any minor offence like crossing the expressway without using the pedestrian bridge?

“Sometimes, they will order the offenders to kneel down and carry tyres up and also to climb the electric pole. This is inhuman and an act of wickedness and I believe that their commander may not know the atrocities these officers commit at Uga junction on a daily basis.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ali Okechukwu, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone, said, “Only three are feared dead.”

Okechukwu added that one person was in a critical condition in a military hospital.

The PPRO explained that the military commander in the state had told him that trouble began “when the IPOB members attacked one of his captains”.

In Enugu, members of IPOB and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra took to the streets to celebrate the release of Kanu.

The pro-Biafran agitators, numbering over a thousand, sang solidarity songs as they paraded the streets with Biafran flags in a peaceful rally.

The groups had earlier in November held a rally in Enugu demanding Kanu’s release as well as the recognition of Biafra as an independent country.

Governors of the South-East states had, during a meeting in Enugu, agreed to hold a dialogue with the Federal Government over the renewed pro-Biafran agitation in the region.

In Port Harcourt, some members of MASSOB and IPOB converged on the Olu Obasanjo Road, drumming and chanting Biafra’s ‘Freedom is now’.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had, earlier on Thursday, ordered an unconditional release of Kanu, from the custody of the Department of State Services.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in a ruling on Kanu’s bail application, held that his continued detention for about two months without any pending charges against him was in breach of the provisions of Section 34 of the Constitution.

The judge upheld the contention of Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Vincent Obetta, and set aside an order, which he (the judge) granted the DSS on November 10, 2015, permitting the security agency to keep Kanu in its custody for 90 days.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 2 of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, struck out the charges instituted against Kanu by the DSS.

Kanu was arrested on October 14, 2015 in Lagos and arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court in Abuja on October 19.

DSS had, on November 22, applied for the discontinuance of the case before the presiding Chief Magistrate, Shuabu Usman, to enable it to file charges of terrorism and terrorism financing against him in a court with requisite jurisdiction.

But Justice Ademola ruled on Thursday that the continued detention of the pro-Biafran leader for over two months showed that the DSS lacked sufficient material to prosecute him or had yet to make up its mind to do so.

“The respondent does not have enough materials to prosecute the applicant or the respondent has yet to make up its mind to prosecute him.

“While the respondent is pondering, this court holds that the detention of the applicant for more than two months without any pending charges against him is contrary to Section 34 of the Constitution,” he said.

The judge held that the provisions of sections 158, 164 and165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act made the granting of bail to an accused more liberal.

He held that from the facts in the applicant’s supporting affidavit and the counter-affidavit by the DSS, it was obvious that “the state has no sufficient material to prosecute the applicant” and that by admission of the lawyer to the DSS, Mr. Moses Idakwo, “there is no pending charge against him (Kanu)”.

The judge therefore set aside the order of permitting the DSS to keep him in custody for 90 days.

“By the admission of the respondent that there is no pending charge against the applicant, the applicant is hereby released unconditionally,” the judge ruled.

But the judge rejected a prayer by Kanu asking for an order voiding Section 27 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013, which empowers the court to grant an order remanding a terrorism suspect, who is under investigation, for a period of 90 days at the first instance.

The judge noted that such provisions were found in the laws of the United States of America, France and other developed countries.

“The United States, France, etc all have this kind of legislation and there is nothing unusual about it,” Justice Ademola ruled.

Kanu was, however, not released immediately because the process for the release had not been completed, according to his lawyer.

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Biafra: 6 IPOB members shot dead in Aba, 30 injured, 45 in Police net
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Nwabueze Okonkwo & Francis Igata ~ Vanguard, Wednesday, February 10, 2016.

As Kanu is brought to court in handcuffs 

Court rejects Kanu's request for seized passports, money

ABA-The protest embarked on by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over the prolonged detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, turned bloody in Aba, Abia State, as a combined team of security agents, comprising soldiers and policemen allegedly fired shots at the protesters, killing six members of the group and arresting 20.

Also in Enugu, the Police in the state yesterday, arrested 25 members of the IPOB, who had gathered at the Naira Triangle in preparation for a protest march.

Vanguard gathered that the protesters had, as early as 9am, converged at National High School, along Port Harcourt-Aba road, from where they usually march to other areas of the city when security agents swooped on them. Sources said the IPOB members were in prayer session when the soldiers and their police counterparts invaded the area and arrested some leaders of the group.

In the confusion, several protesters were injured while 10 were feared dead.

Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the casualty figure would have been higher had some of the protesters not escaped. According to them,"the protesters as usual, gathered at the school to pray before taking off, but soldiers and policemen invade the area. There was heavy shooting. I saw more than three dead people. Many others were injured."

The situation caused tension in the area as shop owners and residents scampered to safety. Motorists avoided the stretch between Crystal Park Hotel junction and National High School in order not to be caught in the crossfire.

An IPOB official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the security agents arrested the group's Aba Coordinator identified as Ikechukwu and some of his assistants.

The official, who disclosed that 20 IPOB members were being detained by the Police, insisted that they would not relent until their detained leader is released as well as the actualization of an independent state of Biafra, adding that the protest would continue until Friday.

At the time of filing this report, over 30 members of the group were reportedly receiving attention at various hospitals in the city.

When Vanguard visited the area, stern looking soldiers and policemen were seen at strategic positions while a convoy over 30 patrol vans later took the arrested protesters away.

Contacted on phone, spokesman of the Abia State Police command, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, told Vanguard that he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

Enugu protest

The protest march which they had tagged "mother of all protest marches" was nipped in the bud by security agents who stormed the venue where they were trooping in numbers.

The Naira Triangle was almost covered with a sea of heads when the security operatives struck and dispersed them.

Canisters of tear gas were shot at the gathering which snowballed into physical show of strength between the IPOB members and security agents.

But for the application of extreme professional caution by the security agents, the fracas could have resulted in many loss of lives.

Although many of the IPOB members sustained injuries, many took to their heels as the police released shots of tear gas into the crowd.

The media and publicity officer of IPOB, Emma Powerful decried the attitude of the security agents towards its members, saying the group is not a violent group and were assembling for a peaceful protest march.

Groups condemn killings

Civil society organizations in Abia State under the auspices of Abia Human Rights Agenda yesterday condemned what it described as the killing of defenceless protesters in Aba.

The group called on the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase to cause investigation into the dastardly acts and prosecute those found culpable, to serve as a deterrent to others.

Addressing newsmen in Aba, the group; Foundation for Environmental Rights and Advocacy, FENRAD; Society for Economic Rights and Social Justice, SERSJ; Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation, HRJPF; among others; contended that over 15 persons have lost their lives in pro-Biafra protests in the city, describing the situation as unacceptable and called on security agents to respect the rules of their engagements.

Spokesmen for the groups, Nelson Nwafor, Innocent Nwokocha, and Cassius Ukwugbe, described the killings as the height of human rights violations by those who are paid to protect lives and properties, asserting that the killing of unarmed citizens is a heinous crime against God and humanity.

According to the CSOs, "Over 10 people lost their lives during the protest against the detention of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Several others sustained various degrees of injuries as security agents clashed with protesters. Security agents must restrict themselves to the rules of their engagements in crisis situation."

Drama in court

Meantime, a mild drama took place within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja, as the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, whose trial was billed for yesterday, refused to remove his handcuffs.

It took the intervention of his lead counsel, Chief Chuks Muoma, SAN, to persuade Kanu to step-down from the prison van that brought him to court for trial.

Though he eventually succumbed to persuasion by his lawyer to alight from the prison van, however, Kanu, swore that he would not allow anybody to remove the handcuffs which he wore into the court room.

Rejection

Also yesterday, trial Justice John Tsoho, dismissed an application by the detainedleader of the IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, for an order compelling the Department of State Services, DSS, to release some items that were forcefully seized from him on the day he was arrested.

Among the items Kanu wanted the court to help him retrieve from the security agency included his British and Nigerian passports, as well as $2,200 and N87, 000.

The IPOB leader who is facing treason charge, made the oral application through his lawyer, Chief Chuks Muoma, SAN, on a day the Federal Government applied for protection of the identities of witnesses that were billed to testify against him.

Muoma contended that the items were not among the exhibits the prosecution listed in his proof-of evidence before the court.

He argued that the fact that the prosecution had by way of an affidavit evidence, deposed that investigation had been concluded on the matter, and did not include the seized items among the materials it would rely upon to establish the guilt of the defendant, meant they would not be needed during the trial.

The application was vehemently opposed by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri, who insisted that the proper procedure was for the defendant to write an application to the Attorney General of the Federation, requesting for the said items to be released to him if it would not be used in the course of the trial.

"If the application is brought to the AGF, it is for us at that level to look at the relevance of the items vis-Ã-vis the prosecution of this case, and reply accordingly. At this point in time, evidence has not been adduced in this court," Diri argued.

Placing reliance on section 10(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, the DPP, maintained that Kanu could only make such application at the end of his trial.

He said: "It should be made at the close of the case of the prosecution. As to the two passports, the proof of evidence before this court indicates that despite the fact that the 1stdefendant carries Nigerian and British passports, he sneaked into the territory of theFederalRepublicofNigeriawithout using any of them.”