BEVERLY HILLS, June 04, (THEWILL) – The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has stated that a re-arrest of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu will bring the attention of world powers to the plight of the people of the South-east, which according to it will signal that the actualization of Biafra is near.
This was as the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, handed a six months ultimatum to the Federal Government to conduct a referendum in Biafra land or there would be no election in the South-East zone and parts of Kogi and Benue states come 2019.
In a statement issued at the weekend by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB explained that there was the need to make the clarification in view of those who were calling for the re-arrest of Kanu for flaunting his bail conditions.
It claimed that the call stemmed from the success of the sit-at-home protest declared by Kanu, which it said witnessed total compliance.
The group said its leader is not afraid of going to prison a second time, but arresting him would draw the attention of the international community to the region.
The statement reads: “Arresting Kanu again cannot stop the agitation, rather it will be a very big mistake on the side of federal government and its security operatives because when the security operatives arrested him on his arrival from London in his hotel room in Lagos, it sparked protests and rallies across the world.
“Arresting him again will draw the attention of the world leaders and other relevant organisations closer to the quest for Biafra independence.
“Therefore, we don’t give a damn, whether they arrest him or not. We don’t bother. Keeping Kanu in or out of Nigeria prison means nothing to us because the restoration effort continues unabated. Having Kanu in prison is always good for the struggle to restore Biafra.”
IPOB held that the refusal to free him after two courts of competent jurisdiction granted him unconditional release, elevated the struggle to another level.
“IPOB and its leadership are not even deterred by any threat from any corner because what we are doing is inalienable rights to all theindigenous people around the world and it is enshrined in the United Nations charter,” it added.
On its part, MASSOB vowed to team up with IPOB and other genuine pro-Biafra groups in mobilising the people against the 2019 general elections in all Biafran territory to boycott the election if the federal government refuses to conduct a referendum for the exit of Biafra from Nigeria.
It claimed that Kogi and parts of Benue state were already negotiating with MASSOB to be part of Biafra.
A statement issued on Sunday, MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Samuel Edeson, reads: “MASSOB is giving six months ultimatum to the Federal Government to conduct a referendum in Biafran land or there will be no election in the South East region, including parts of Kogi and Benue states.
“We are not going to disrupt anybody, including electoral officers; they will move to their wards to conduct election, but they won’t see anybody. No Biafran will come out to vote that day. If somebody decides to stay indoor, you won’t force him to go out and vote. We are tired of Nigeria, there is no amount of restructuring that will change our vision to actualise Biafra.
“We don’t condemn our brothers, the politicians, who are agitating for restructuring, because that is what they believe in, but for us, ‘no Biafra, nothing else’.”
