AWKA—AS the 30th May, 2017 Biafra Day remembrance draws near, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged its members, including those in the Diaspora, to use the day to show the world that they still cherished the efforts of their heroes who paid the supreme sacrifice for Biafrans to live.
IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, said in a statement yesterday that all IPOB units within and outside Biafra had been directed to participate in street demonstrations, rallies, lectures and prayers, saying the day would go down in history as one of the greatest events ever organized by man.
According to him, the leadership of IPOB had also noted with satisfaction the preparations being made in some countries for the event, including the United Kingdom, Angola, Mozambique, Congo DR, Namibia and Tanzania. IPOB members on solidarity march He said:
“IPOB, under the leadership and supreme command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wants every IPOB family member to prove to the entire world that we remain the pre-eminent freedom fighting outfit anywhere on earth at this moment.
“We have been directed by our leader to demonstrate our formidability and resoluteness in our respective countries of residence across the globe in such a manner that our heroes, wherever they lie, even in unmarked graves in forgotten battlefields, will be proud of what they achieved 50 years ago.
“Biafrans, both home and abroad, must honour and remember our heroes and heroines that died to stop the total Islamization of the sacred land of Biafra and perpetual enslavement of the children of God.
“The exceptionally gallant soldiers of the class of 67-70 and the fearless IPOB family (including MASSOB members killed over the years) during numerous protests and rallies to free Biafra, paid the ultimate price by sacrificing their lives that we may live. It is therefore the patriotic duty of every right-thinking Biafran to respect the sacrifice these brave men and women made for our survival as a race.
Referendum “IPOB will use this event to conclusively prove to the whole world that we are ready for the upcoming referendum for Biafra sovereignty.
“IPOB and its leadership will also prove to the Nigerian agents in our midst that the historic event of the 30th of May 2017 Remembrance Day celebration and sit-at-home order issued by our supreme leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, will be a watershed in the struggle for the liberation of Biafra and a remarkable one in the history of our nation. After this sit-at-home, which is a mini referendum for us, comes the real referendum later this year.
“IPOB is the largest, most potent freedom fighting outfit anywhere in the world right now and we stand to prove this on the 30th of May 2017. “In Biafraland and certain parts of Nigeria, Biafrans are required to stay at home and not venture outside. There will be a complete lockdown of Biafraland and major cities where Biafrans have a significant population concentration, like Sabon Gari in Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Zaria and Abuja.” Powerful described as pathetic and downright unpatriotic, the attitude of certain individuals, who, he added, hide under the banner of Biafra to be serving a Northern Nigeria agenda.
“These elements and their groups, not content with duping people in the name of Biafra, have brought shame and infamy to themselves and their groups by attempting to discourage our people from honouring our heroes. “They have collected money from their sponsors to try and disrespect our heroes that fought and died for us.
These people without shame or honour, have forgotten that MASSOB members died at the hands of the same people they have gone to collect money from to stop a remembrance that includes honouring their own members that died in service to Biafra.
This is the height of evil and betrayal of the very worst kind,” he further said. We are monitoring IPOB, MASSOB activities—Abia police But yesterday in Abia state, ahead of their planned Biafra Day celebration, the Abia State Police Commissioner, Mr. Leye Oyebade, said that the command is monitoring the activities of members of IPOB and MASSOB, adding that for now, there is no threat to security.
Leye also said that the command was monitoring the threat given by a faction of the leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, which allegedly threatened to burn down the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, over alleged long-standing dispute between the factional leader and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Otunta, with a view to ensuring that nothing awful happens there.
The Police Commissioner, who spoke Monday, while parading 28 suspects involved in various criminal activities, including armed robbery, car snatching, burglary, defilement and cultism, explained that the command has “rejuvenated the security machinery of Aba and increased the personnel to ensure that Aba is secured for business.
“We still need more logistics from the state government and more information from the people. People are trying in providing information; we are being proactive. We have been raiding criminal hideouts, flashpoints and the outcome has been positive. “What we have done in Aba, we are going to sustain it.
We still have criminals there but we are going to push all of them out. We want to make Aba safe for business”, the Police commissioner said.
Meanwhile, Oyebade has been recognized by an international organization, African Emerging Leadership Research and Development Organisation, AELDO, for “his distinguished service to humanity, uprightness in maintaining law and order, commitment and dedication to duty”.
‘We’ve achieved Biafra without violence’ Also yesterday, a leader and elder-in-council of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Zone C West Lagos, Comrade Calistus Eze said that Chief Ralph Uwazurike led group has succeeded in achieving Biafra without violence. Eze, who said this during a press conference on Biafra Independence in Lagos, also said:
“When we started, it looked like a child’s play. Nobody believed it, but today MASSOB/BIM has achieved Biafra Independence through non-violence, which was the principle that Mahtma Gandhi used in India.”
He urged Biafrans to go out and celebrate on May 22nd, which according to him, is a day set aside to celebrate the independence of Biafra.
It will be recalled that on May 22, 2000, MASSOB leader, Uwazurike redeclared Biafra in Abia State, for the proper emancipation of Easterners from Nigeria. When asked how he thought Biafra had been achieved having not been declared, he said:
“Everything being done is a formality. We insiders know that Biafra has been achieved. On May 22, we will celebrate the independence of Biafra. Therefore, we urge all Biafrans to go out and celebrate, for we are free indeed.”
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