BIAFRA NEWS : Appeal Court fixes Thursday to rule on Nnamdi Kanu’s case

 

The Court of Appeal, Abuja will deliver judgment in the case between the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and the Federal Government on Thursday.

Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor made this known on Wednesday in a statement titled, “Update on Onyendu’s Court of Appeal case.”

Vanguard earlier reported that the separatist group’s leader’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor led a team of other lawyers at the appellate court this morning in the appeal suit filed on September 5, 2022. 

A statement by Ejiofor partly read, “We wish to inform all followers of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, that we just received NOTIFICATION from the Court of Appeal Abuja Judicial Division, that the long awaited Judgment in Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022 BETWEEN: MAZI NNAMDI KANU VS. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, will be delivered tomorrow, the 13th Day of October, 2022, at 2:00PM.”

“We are very excited with this news as we look forward to a victorious outing tomorrow. The hour has come! Please do not relent in your prayers as they are positively impacting . We will surely have every cause to rejoice for Victory is ours and it shall surely end in praises.”

BIAFRA NEWS : We’re determined, disciplined freedom-fighting movement, not political thugs — IPoB tells FG

 

THE Indigenous People of Biafra IPoB, yesterday said it has no business with the Nigerian election, accusing the Federal Government of sponsoring election violence in South East, to blackmail IPoB.

The pro-Biafra group also said that Nigeria Federal Government is sponsoring insecurity in South East to disrupt the 2023 election because their candidate will lose the election, adding that it has unequivocally stated that part of its mode of operation in its agitation for freedom has not had never been, and will not be violent agitation for Biafra.  A statement by IPoB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “IPoB has no business with Nigeria election and their campaign”, said its non-interest in the Nigerian election explains its consistent demand for a referendum.

IPoB’s statement read, “We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, led and commanded by Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is very much aware that the Nigeria Government is, directly and indirectly, sponsoring election violence in Biafra land with the intention to internationally blackmail the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as an anti-democratic group.

“The IPOB leadership has for the umpteenth time stated unequivocally that part of our modus operandi in our agitation for freedom has never been, is not and will not be violent agitation.

“This explains our consistent demand for the UN to organise a Referendum in the Biafran territory for the Biafran people to determine their destiny. To this effect, IPOB is neither contemplating nor will it encourage or sponsor anyone or group to disrupt Nigeria’s shambolic selection process called an election

“IPOB has constantly made it public that we have no interest in and cannot legitimise the aberration they call an election in Nigeria. We are a focused, determined and disciplined freedom-fighting movement, not political thugs.

“IPOB is devoted to the cause of liberating our people from subjugation and from modern-day slavery and Neo-colonialism and will not allow ourselves to be distracted from this very objective.

“The world must hold to account the Nigeria Government and the criminals it is covertly recruiting and positioning in the South East to create an environment of violence and after causing the violence, will turn around to blame IPoB.

“IPOB is not part of Nigeria’s sham election and will never be part of it. IPOB is solely focused on Biafra Independence struggle which Nigeria Government and its allies are working very hard to derail with their daily propaganda and blackmail against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB members worldwide.

“Our demands are simple, simple, the unconditional release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, fix a date for a referendum for Biafrans to decide their fate either for freedom or for a Sovereign Biafran Nation or for permanent subjugation and oppression in the Republic of Nigeria.

“As we have said in our previous press statement, the Nigeria government and its compromised security agencies are responsible for most criminal activities going on in Biafraland and some other parts of Nigeria. This very fact has been confirmed by Nigeria Army officers in their letter to the Presidency”

BIAFRA NEWS : Can Peter Obi’s victory in 2023 presidential election end Biafra agitation?

 

Despite the excitement in the South-east over Peter Obi's presidential bid, support for the agitation for Biafra remains strong in the region.

Since 1999, some groups have been seeking the secession of the South-east region from Nigeria to become the independent Republic of Biafra.

Although the South-east is not the only region with separatist agitators, these groups have been most vocal and consistent in their quest.

The agitators said they are driven by feelings of marginalisation of the region in the power-sharing formulae of Nigeria and the distribution of resources by successive governments.

Also, alleged lopsided appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari to the disfavour of the South-east have been linked to the resurgence of the pro-Biafran agitation in the region lately.

No presidency

People in the region grew increasingly frustrated by their inability to produce Nigeria’s president since the return of democracy in 1999, despite some of the other regions producing at different times.

The region, which had largely supported the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was disappointed that the party, in May, picked its 2023 presidential candidate outside the region.

This was despite the clamour by South-east leaders that the region should be given a chance to produce the president in 2023.

Like the PDP, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also picked its presidential candidate outside the region.

First secession attempt

The first attempt by the region to secede from Nigeria precipitated a 30-month civil war between 1967 and 1970, with the number of dead from fighting, disease and starvation estimated at between one and three million, according to a report by Cable News Network.

Odumegwu Ojukwu, as the then military governor Eastern Region, had declared the independence of the Sovereign State of Biafra on 30 May, 1967, drawing the ire of the then Military Government of Nigeria under Yakubu Gowon. The secessionists eventually surrendered after Mr Ojukwu fled into exile in January 1970.

More than 52 years after, the agitation for separation from Nigeria continues to flare.

Many believe this is due to the feeling of marginalisation as well as historical grievances of the Igbos, who accused the Nigerian government of genocide during the civil war.

Secession struggle continues

Between 1999 and 2022, several separatist groups emerged in the South-east agitating for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south region.

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) was the first pro-Biafra group to emerge in 1999 to push for the secession of the region.

MASSOB was founded by Indian-trained lawyer Ralph Uwazurike, after the defeat of a former vice president, Alex Ekwueme, by Olusegun Obasanjo in the presidential primaries of the PDP. But the group failed to gain traction and virtually disappeared until President Goodluck Jonathan, who was massively supported by the Igbos, lost his reelection bid in 2015.

Nnamdi Kanu, a supporter of Mr Jonathan, later floated the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

IPOB appears to be more organised and vocal than other pro-Biafra groups that emerged later, some of which have fizzled out.

Peter Obi factor

Since Peter Obi emerged as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), he has been enjoying growing support across the country.

Mr Obi, who hails from the South-east, also enjoys a large following in the region.

Although the former governor of Anambra State is not the only presidential candidate from the South-east, many residents of the region believe that he is a potent instrument for the realisation of the Igbo presidency dream.

The Igbos rely on the swelling support for Mr Obi to take a shot at the Nigerian presidency for the first time in 2023, according to many residents of the South East who spoke with this reporter.

Since his emergence as the LP candidate, IPOB has been less active in the South East, fueling speculations that Mr Obi’s victory at the 2023 poll could end the agitation for Biafra.

However, there are indications that such speculations may be misplaced.

Ohanaeze on Igbo presidency

A leading Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and other Igbo leaders have consistently backed the Igbo presidency bid, arguing that the South-east is the only region yet to produce Nigeria’s president.

Since the Fourth Republic started in 1999, four persons from three of Nigeria’s six regions have been elected president. They are Mr Obasanjo from the South-west, Umar Yar’adua and Mr Buhari from the North-west and Mr Jonathan from the South-south.

“Ndigbo are prepared and look forward to Igbo presidency as a national priority. It is also indeed reasonable and logical that before any other zone in the country goes for a second turn of occupying the office of the presidency, that Ndigbo should at least have their first turn,” the President-General of Ohanaeze, George Obiozor, said in January.

However, the group has also repeatedly maintained that the Igbos will remain in Nigeria, although it has shown considerable sympathy and clandestine support for IPOB and their agitation.

IPOB’s position

But IPOB has repeatedly insisted that Biafra Republic, not Igbo presidency, is its demand.

A faction of the IPOB, led by a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, Simon Ekpa, for instance, has been threatening to disrupt elections in the South-east, maintaining that the Igbo presidency cannot assuage the quest for Biafra.

“There will be no election in Biafraland until there is a possibility for a referendum,” Mr Ekpa reiterated in a Twitter post on Thursday.

Another faction of the IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu has also been calling for a referendum in the region.

In 2018, Emma Powerful, spokesperson of Mr Kanu’s IPOB faction, was asked by TheCable if an Igbo presidency would make the group back down from its agitation. He responded:

“Nothing can make IPOB back down from this divine quest to restore the lost Sovereign State of Biafra. Only the will of the people clearly expressed during a referendum (can do that). If we lose in a referendum, we (will) stop the agitation for Biafra the same day.”

In August 2022, when the group was accused by a Fulani group, Miyetti Allah, of backing Mr Obi’s presidential bid, Mr Powerful responded: “IPOB is not interested in Igbo president or a Nigeria president from Biafra extraction. The Igbo people rallying behind Peter Obi are not IPOB members because IPOB doesn’t want the contraption called Nigeria to continue to exist and we must break away from Nigeria enterprise irrespective of whether Peter Obi or anyone from the Biafran geographic space is contesting in the Nigerian farce of an election.”

Again, some gunmen said to be part of the Biafra agitation in the South-east, have been attacking and killing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), maintaining that there would be no election in the region in 2023.

The hoodlums, in a viral video clip, threatened to disrupt elections in the region if a referendum was not held by the government.

While the government may work hard to ensure that the 2023 general elections are held in the region, the threats and attacks by the pro-Biafran gunmen against INEC officials, indicate that they are not in support of Mr Obi’s presidency bid and are not swayed by his prospect of victory at the poll.

What residents say

Many residents who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES corroborated IPOB’s position that Mr Obi’s presidency cannot end the agitation for Biafra in the South East.

However, they conceded that the LP candidate’s victory at the poll may douse the agitation as it would give the region a feeling of belonging to the Nigerian project.

“Peter Obi’s election is quite different from the agitation (for Biafra). On that (election) day, I will go and vote, but agitation continues,” said Augustus Ike, a resident of Enugu State.

This also implies that Mr Obi’s defeat at the 2023 poll could intensify the Biafra agitation in the South-east, given the widespread belief among residents of the region that only rigging can stop him.

His defeat will thus be interpreted by many residents as part of the suspected conspiracy to deny the South-east the presidency.

Likely reason for insistence on Biafra

Observers highlight a major reason why the Biafra agitation will continue even if Mr Obi wins the presidential election.

“The feeling of marginalization (of South-east) over the years has created the feeling among the youths, particularly those who didn’t witness the civil war, that there is no way, a Southeasterner will get a fair treatment under the structure called Nigeria,” Onyebuchi Ezeani, a professor of political science, told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Ezeani, who lectures at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stressed that IPOB’s insistence on Biafra must have been informed by the group’s belief that “even if Peter Obi wins, he will just be a mere stooge in the hands of those who have been putting up the posture of being owners of Nigeria.”

The political scientist said the separatists believe that Mr Obi’s presidency can only last for two terms of eight years at most, after which the “injustice (against the South-east) will continue.”

“Their position is that the Nigerian state, as it is considered today, does not and will never serve the interest of Igbos. That’s why they have continued to show no interest in any Igbo man who is contesting for any political position in Nigeria.”

BIAFRA NEWS : We’ve no plans to disrupt election in Igboland – IPOB

 

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that it has no plan to disrupt election in Igboland in 2023.

The media and publicity secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, in a press statement to DAILY POST, said there is no truth in any information circulating on alleged plans to disrupt election in 2023 in Igboland.

The group rather accused the federal government of masterminding insecurity in the South East, with the hope of causing fear and accusing IPOB of their deeds.

A recent video of a breakaway member of IPOB, Mr Simon Ekpa recently surfaced on the internet, where he said the group would not let any election hold in Biafraland.

But in a press release on behalf of IPOB, Powerful said: “The IPOB leadership has for umpteenth time stated unequivocally that part of our modus operandi in our agitation for freedom has never been, is not and will not be violent agitation.

“This explains our consistent demand for the UN to organise a Referendum in the Biafran territory for the Biafran people to determine their destiny. To this effect, IPOB is neither contemplating nor will it encouraged or sponsor anyone or group to disrupt Nigeria shambolic selection process called election.

“IPOB has constantly made it public that we have no interest in and cannot legitimise the aberration they call election in Nigeria. We are a focused, determined and disciplined freedom fighting movement not political thugs and IPOB is devoted to the cause of liberating our people from subjugation and from modern day slavery and Neo-colonialism and will not allow ourselves to be distracted from this very objective.”

The group continued that: “IPOB is not interested and will never involve ourselves in any Nigeria fraudulent pre-election or post-election issues. Our job is to open the eyes of the blinds by the gospel of truth which our leader has delivered already.

“Whoever that is sponsoring any group or gang tagging them IPOB is on his/her own. For those who are hard of hearing, IPOB is one indivisible family under one central command and leadership.

“If in the future IPOB leadership decides to make further statement on the upcoming Nigeria selection process called election, we shall make such statement through our official channels.”

BIAFRA NEWS : Gunmen hide under Biafra agitation to kill in South-east – Army

 

The Nigerian army says the gunmen terrorising residents of the South-east hide under the cloak of Biafra agitation to commit crimes in the region.

The new General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Umar Musa, stated this on Friday when he visited Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State at the Government House, Awka.

This was contained in a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Christian Aburime.

Mr Musa, a major-general, took over from Taoreed Lagbaja, also a major-general, who is now the GOC, 1 Mechanised Division, Kaduna.

The new 82 Division GOC whose division superintends over Mr Soludo’s Anambra, visited to inform the governor of his assumption of duty.

Mr Musa, recently, has also visited Governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Hope Uzodinma of Abia and Imo States respectively.

The GOC will work with the state governors in the South-east which is under the division on security. This explains his recent visits to the governors in the region.

He commended Mr Soludo for his assistance to the security agencies in their battle against gunmen operating in the state.

The GOC said the army was aware of the security situation in the South-east and promised to partner with the governor and other governors in the region to fight the situatio

BIAFRA NEWS : Nnamdi Kanu, You lack capacity to stop Biafra agitation – IPOB attacks Atiku

 

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday, declared that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lacks the capacity to stop the Biafra agitation.

IPOB warned Atiku to stop using the agitation for Biafra champion by its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, for his presidential campaign.

The group issued the warning while criticizing Atiku over a statement credited to him that he would stop Biafra’s agitation if elected President in 2023.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB insisted that the only solution to Biafra’s agitation was a referendum.

The statement reads: “The attention of global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great and indefatigable liberator Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU was drawn to the laughable and disgraceful statement credited to the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at Enugu State yesterday the 27th day of September 2022, where he was ranting how he would stop Biafra agitation if he becomes the President of the zoo.

“Those deluded South East politicians around Atiku Abubakar should warn him to stop using Biafra agitation championed by our great leader, Nnamdi KANU and IPOB for his useless political campaigns.

“Biafra Independence movement struggle being championed by IPOB is beyond the zoo’s local politics. IPOB being the largest liberation movement in the world has a crop of intellectuals in her leadership doing great works and are unstoppable by the criminal Nigeria politicians.

“Atiku Abubakar and his corrupt political gang must know that we allowed them to Enugu State does not mean we don’t know what to do to stop them from entering Enugu State ever again. As much as we are a civilized movement, we don’t want to be used for corrupt election campaigns or we will forced them to stop their campaigns in our territories.

“Atiku Abubakar you can do anything to please your gullible followers but you cannot stop Biafra agitation championed by Kanu and IPOB members worldwide. The only remedy to this current

BIAFRA NEWS : Nigerian separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu pleads not guilty to terrorism and treason

 

The Nigerian separatist Nnamdi Kanu has pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism and treason levelled against him by the authorities.

Kanus presence in court on Thursday was the first time he had been seen in public since he was repatriated from abroad in June.

One of his Lawyers Ifeanyi Ejiofo, say. "He took plea to the seven-count charge today, and the hearing on the application, challenging the competence, urging the court to dismiss the seven-count charge and acquit our client and discharge him is coming up on 10 November 2021, so on that day we are going to go deep into the substance of the charge."

Coupled with the terrorism and treason, the 53 year old is also facing charges of running an illegal company and publishing defamatory material, which appears to relate to comments he made about President Muhammadu Buhari.

Present at the court surrounding was a huge crowd who were there to support him.

However, Dozens of heavily armed police, and Nigerian soldiers were deployed all around the federal high court to prevent any form of violence.

Journalists were barred from entering the premises

Separatist movements in Nigeria are deemed sensitive, after a unilateral declaration of independence in 1967 in Biafra sparked a brutal 30-month civil war.

More than one million people died, most of them Igbos, from the impact of conflict, hunger and disease.

BIAFRA NEWS : Nnamdi Kanu's Case In Appeal Court Begins As Ozekhome Leads Legal Team

 

The judge, in a ruling, had held that the removed charges did not disclose any offence against the defendant.

 

Kanu’s lawyers are expected to be spearheaded by Ejiofor, who stated this in statement on Monday night, said Mike Ozekhome, SAN, will lead the team as usual.

The Appeal Court, Abuja Division, is set to hear the appeal of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The team of lawyers has also arrived in the court, according to the BBC, and they are led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome.

SaharaReporters had reported that Justice Binta Nyako of Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, April 8, struck out eight of the 15 count charges against the Kanu.

The judge, in a ruling, had held that the removed charges did not disclose any offence against the defendant.

While ruling on the preliminary objection seeking to quash the charges, the judge said counts 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14 had not disclosed any offence against the defendant (Kanu).

The charges that were struck out below are as follows: “Count 6: Made broadcasts to attack officers of the Nigeria Police Force; Count 7: Made broadcasts in which he incited members of the public to hunt and attack officers of the Nigerian Police Force.  

Nyako had said that counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 15 showed some allegations, which the defendant had to answer. 

The application, premised on 34 grounds and supported by a 36-paragraph affidavit, is also seeking an order acquitting and discharging Kanu.

Ozekhome adopted his application and asked the court to strike out the entire charge.

He also said according to the provisions of the federal high court act, a prosecutor is expected to give exact details of a location where an offence is committed.

“You are accusing Kanu of making some broadcast. You didn’t say where these broadcasts were made. Were they made in the spirit world, made in the air or under the ground?” Ozekhome asked.

He said his application seeks the “quashing, striking out and dismissing of the 15-count amended charge” for being “incompetent and denying the court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit.”

However, these seven counts are now the subject of the Appeal Court hearing today. 

Kanu through his lead Counsels Chief Mike Ozekhome, (SAN) who appealed the decision of the Federal High Court, had described the seven remaining charges as “defective and baseless”.

“Count 10: Incited members of the public to destroy public facilities. Count 11: Threatened members of the public not to come out on 31st May, 2021. Count 12: Made broadcasts with the intention to incite members of the public to stage a violent revolution in furtherance of acts of terrorism. Count 14: Directed members of the public to destroy the public transport system in Lagos, resulting in major economic loss to the governor.”

“Court 8: Made broadcasts in which he directed members of the IPOB to manufacture bombs; Court 9: Made broadcasts on diverse dates in furtherance of terrorism against the Nigeria state and with intent to destabilise the fundamental political and economic structures of Nigeria, incited members of the public to stop the Anambra governorship election.

BIAFRA NEWS : Kanu receives legal team in DSS custody, upbeat on Appeal Court victory

 

Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has again received his legal team in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and expressed optimism that the terrorism charges against him would be quashed by the Court of Appeal.

The legal team on a routine visit granted by the Federal High Court was led to Kanu by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and Ifeanyi Ejiofor who were accompanied by some of Kanu’s family members.

The visit was to give the detained Biafra nation agitator, feedback on the Court of Appeal’s proceedings of September 13, where the legal team prayed the Appellate Court to dismiss the remaining 7 charges of terrorism and treasonable felony brought against him by the Federal Government.

A statement just released by Ejiofor after the visit said that Kanu was in high spirit and confident that the Court of Appeal in Abuja would discharge and acquit him from the terrorism charges.

Ejiofor disclosed that Kanu used the visit to send words of appeal to his followers to remain consistent, resolute, unshaken, focused and prayerful with the hope that there must be light at the end of the tunnel.

The lawyer in the statement made available to DAILY POST hinted that Kanu is very optimistic that “the trial phase is gradually coming to an end”.

The statement read in part “The court-ordered routine visit to our client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has just been concluded at the DSS Headquarters, Abuja, where he is still being held in solitary confinement for over 14 months.

“Feedback was provided to him on the September 13 Court of Appeal proceedings in his appeal against the Federal High Court ruling upholding 7 charges against him. Kanu was elated on the performance and legal prowess demonstrated by his legal team, led by Chief Mike Ozekome, SAN.

“Kanu was enthused by the accounts of the advocacy and submissions of Chief Ozekhome, SAN, during the proceeding, happy with the panel of Justices and was completely convinced that justice is already in the offing

“He was deeply touched by the sacrifices of UmuChineke, who despite the heavy downpour witnessed in Abuja on that fateful day, still thronged the Court, in a show of uncommon solidarity and support for him.

“Kanu unequivocally reiterated his abiding confidence in his dogged legal team, who have always been up to the daunting task.

“Onyendu remains firm, tenacious and holding very strongly to his conviction that his trial will surely end in victory.”

Kanu had on September 13 prayed the Court of Appeal in Abuja to review the April 8 ruling of the Federal High Court which struck out only eight out of the 15-count charge and upheld 7 charges against him.

In his appeal dated April 29 and marked CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022, Kanu insisted that the treasonable felony charges against him had no basis in law and applied to be discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal.

Ozekhome, who argued the appeal on his behalf, urged the appellate court to order his release from DSS solitary confinement.

Kanu’s grouse was that the charge gave unlawful global jurisdiction to the high court and that it also failed to disclose the location or date the alleged offences were committed.

A 3-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Jummai Hanatu has, however, reserved judgment in the appeal till a date that would be communicated to parties involved.

BIAFRA NEWS : Queen Elizabeth backed Nigeria during Biafran War –Buhari

 

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on Saturday said the United Kingdom under the late Queen Elizabeth stood by Nigeria during torrid times.

He said the UK during the Civil War between 1967 and 1970 supported the unity of Nigeria, adding that the Queen visited the country twice before her demise.

The President spoke during a condolence visit to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, at her residence in Abuja on Saturday. He was represented by the Secretary to the Government to the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Buhari said, “We have maintained very close ties with the monarchy. She was a very gracious and elegant queen.  For the purposes of remembrance, the fact is that 90 per cent of Nigerians do not know any monarch in the UK other than the queen. We welcome the new king and we look forward to a strong working relationship with the UK.

“They have been a very strong ally even in the midst of our difficult time during the Biafran war; they stood for the indivisibility of the Nigerian state, supported and ensured that we overcame that problem.

We are partnering to deal with the insurgency so that it doesn’t overwhelm us. They have always stood as a very strong ally.”

Buhari added, “The head of the commonwealth to which we belong. Not only that, she was the head of state for three years from 1960 to 1963 and when we became a republic she ceased to be. We have had very close ties with the queen. She visited the country twice; first in 1953 when she spent about 20 days visiting different towns, and the second one was in 2003 during president Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure.”

Laing had said on Friday that a condolence book would be opened at the High Commission Office in the Central Business District area of Abuja from September 12 to 16 and on 19th from 11am to 3pm daily. 

Charles had emerged as the king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, but Saturday’s event confirmed his ascendancy to the throne. The Queen died peacefully on Thursday at her Balmoral Estate in Scotland.

The Washington Post reported that the Accession Council convened on Saturday for what was considered “a constitutional formality to recognise Charles’ sovereignty”.

He read and signed an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland, where there is a separation of powers between the Church and State. He later signed copies of the declaration, with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla; son, Prince William; and Prime Minister, Liz Truss, also signing the declaration as witnesses. 

Normal parliamentary business has been suspended during a period of mourning for the queen. The House of Commons is holding a rare Saturday session so that lawmakers could pay tribute to the late monarch, according to the New York Times.

Elizabeth for burial

The late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is scheduled for Monday, September 19, according to New York Times. The event, which would hold in Westminster Abbey, is expected to be attended by world leaders.

The remains of the late monarch are expected to lie in state for four days and mourners would be able to pay their respect. On Sunday (today), the Queen’s coffin would be taken from Balmoral to Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh ahead of the state funeral.

On Monday, the Queen’s coffin would be moved by procession to St Giles’ Cathedral, accompanied by the King and members of the royal family. Currently, the coffin is covered with the Royal Standard, with a wreath of flowers placed on top.

PM pays allegiance

Prime Minister Truss and senior members of her government have also taken oaths of loyalty to King Charles III in the House of Commons.

House of Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, was the first to pledge he would “bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors,” followed by the longest-serving lawmakers and the prime minister.

Charles proclaimed king

King Charles III was on Saturday afternoon proclaimed as the king, Sunday PUNCH reports. The event held at St. James’ Palace, which is the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. The event was steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism.

BIAFRA NEWS : Britain owes Igbo apology, compensation for Biafra’s destruction – Prof Anya

 

Nigerian-born American lecturer, Uju Anya, has been in the eye of the storm since her tweet wishing the late Queen Elizabeth   II ‘excruciating death’. The professor of Second Language Acquisition, Department of Modern Languages, Carnegie Mellon University, United States of America tells GODFREY GEORGE she spoke from a place of deep pain and is unapologetic about her post

Were you born in Nigeria?

First of all, I would love to say I am Ada Igbo (the first daughter of Igbo land). They cannot deny me (my heritage) because I am a lesbian. I am a child of Igbo land – I am of an Igbo father, and that is who I am. I don’t disown them; they cannot disown me. I am also a child of Trinidad because my mother is from Trinidad. So, I am African and Caribbean. I have lived in the United States for almost 40 years now; I have been here since 1986. I came here when I was 10 years old, and I am now 46. So, I also consider myself American. I am a very proud mother of two intelligent, loving and kind children biologically and I have one stepson. I am also a professor and academic researcher of language learning and multilingualism.

Your tweet wishing the late Queen Elizabeth II an ‘excruciating death’ sparked outrage from many quarters around the world. Are you regretful you made that post?

No, I am not, I have to be very honest with you. I am not. My tweet came from a place of deep pain and deep emotions. It was not something that I planned or calculated. It was spontaneous and was part of my emotional reaction to the impending death of my oppressor. It was spontaneous at the time. However, it is not something I regret or something that I will ever apologise for. I will rest, sleeping every night, knowing that I told the truth.

 

You mentioned that your ancestors suffered in the Biafran war, for which you hold the British responsible. Can you give some details of the kind of experience your people went through?

It was not just my ancestors, but also my immediate and living relatives. There were family members who died but there are also people who are still alive today who survived the genocide. This is because this is a very recent history and a recent memory. The war ended in 1970, and many people who witnessed it are still alive today. I was born in ’76 and I lived in the aftermath of the war. My family suffered and some died. It was traumatic. My parents are dead now, but I have siblings alive today who went through Biafra as children. They were under the age of 10. Our family also has a war baby. My mother was pregnant during the war and gave birth to my second oldest brother in Biafra. So, this is something that is extremely close to me, and it is in my personal existence and in addition to the overall history of my family and the broader history of the Igbo people.

What stories did your family members tell you about what they went through during the war?

I am not claiming that I went through Biafra because I wasn’t born yet then, but it didn’t end in 1970. There were a lot of issues that we had to deal with. My childhood was filled with the reconstruction of war-torn buildings and sites and projects. My father was involved in such projects of reconstructions. When you think of people who went through a holocaust, then, you can imagine how traumatic it must have been. When I speak of ‘holocaust’, I am not speaking of the Jewish holocaust where we lost over six million people. ‘Holocaust’ itself means a ‘mass slaughter’, and what happened to the Igbo during Biafra was a massacre, where more than three million people were killed. All my family dinner table conversations were always about who ran where, who took cover where, who was buried where, who was lost and where the displaced people went. When people survive genocide and mass displacement, there is always going to be that shadow or spectre above surrounding everyone. To date, we are still mourning and talking about it. Ask any Igbo person, they are going to tell you that they are still affected by the war. This is something that is now a part of our legacy as a people; it was something that was done to us. This is something that the British did to us in the very beginning of how they orchestrated the division that caused the separatist movements or the formation of an independent country and how they supported those who committed the genocide by giving them weapons and military vehicles, hiring mercenaries to come and kill the Igbo people and giving the Nigerian soldiers bombs and military supplies, such as planes and whatever they needed to slaughter civilians. The three million people that died were not armed combatants; these were village people. All my life I have heard stories of my mother running with two children under the age of 10 and being pregnant with a third from village to village after they bombed each village that they ran to.

One of the most horrific stories that I will never forget for as long as I live is one my mother told me. She said the airplanes that were sent to bomb the villages flew so low that one could see the pilot inside the cockpits, laughing as he sprayed people with machine guns. These were villagers who were desperately running for their lives. My mother told me that it was a memory that was a part of her life. That was the grotesque nature of this attack on our lands. Where did they get those planes? Where did they get those bombs? Did Nigeria manufacture bombs and guns at that time? The British gave it to them, because of their interest in the oil that was in Igbo land. I also heard stories from the Ada of our family. She is 14 years older than me. She has stories of her own children, lying in a hole. She would run and jump inside a bunker filled with dead bodies. She would lie underneath dead bodies inside the hole to hide from soldiers. Can you imagine that for a child under 10 years old? This is what my people suffered in this genocide! Some of the people are still looking for their loved ones or where they buried them to date. Go to Enugu; there are still buildings that were destroyed and have not been able to be rebuilt after the war.

BIAFRA NEWS : Catalonia's bid for independence from Spain explained

 

 The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) congratulated the Catalans for their annual Independence celebration on September 11, 2022. 

Catalonia's independence movement is back in the headlines after Spain's Supreme Court jailed nine separatist leaders, prompting days of protests.

The crisis first flared in October 2017, when a banned independence referendum was met with a heavy police crackdown.

Madrid imposed direct rule on the region shortly after.

It is the country's biggest political crisis since democracy was restored in 1975, after the death of military dictator General Francisco Franco.

Catalonia is one of Spain's wealthiest and most productive regions and has a distinct history dating back almost 1,000 years.

 

Before the Spanish Civil War it enjoyed broad autonomy but that was suppressed under Gen Franco.

When Franco died, the region was granted autonomy again under the 1978 constitution and prospered as part of the new, democratic Spain.

A 2006 statute granted even greater powers, boosting Catalonia's financial clout and describing it as a "nation", but Spain's Constitutional Court reversed much of this in 2010.

The 2008 financial crash and Spanish public spending cuts fuelled local resentment and separatism.

There is a widespread feeling that the central government takes much more in taxes than it gives back.

But the complexity of budget transfers makes it hard to judge exactly how much more Catalans contribute than they get back from investment in services, such as schools and hospitals.

How did we get here?

Following a symbolic referendum in November 2014, outlawed by Spain, separatists won the 2015 regional election.

Catalonia's pro-independence leaders then went ahead with a full referendum on 1 October 2017, which was also declared illegal by Spain's constitutional court.

Organisers said 90% of voters backed a split. But turnout was only 43% amid a boycott by unionists.

In a febrile atmosphere the separatist majority in the Catalan parliament declared independence on 27 October.

 

Using the Article 155 emergency powers, Madrid dissolved parliament, sacked its leaders and called a snap election for 21 December.

Separatists won a slim majority. The following May, Catalonia's parliament swore in Quim Torra as their new president, after Madrid blocked several other candidates. Mr Torra vowed to continue fighting for independence.

The sight of Spanish national police beating voters, and politicians being jailed, revived disturbing memories, for some, of the Franco dictatorship.

Carles Puigdemont - then Catalan president - fled abroad with several other leaders. Many who remained were arrested and charged with treason.

Spain's Supreme Court finally sentenced nine of the arrested Catalan leaders in October, sparking the latest unrest.

Former vice president Oriol Junqueras was handed a 13-year prison sentence for sedition and misuse of public funds. The other eight receive sentences of between 12 and 9 years.

Demonstrators took to the streets in fury and have repeatedly clashed with police in some of the worst street violence to hit Spain in decades.

If the separatists do ever manage to split away, it would be hard for Catalonia to win recognition internationally.

New states mostly emerge from situations where ethnic groups have been victims of genocide or other major human rights abuses.

Kosovo was a huge humanitarian crisis for Europe - even so, many countries refuse to recognise it as independent.

What does the crisis mean for the country?

Catalonia has its own language and distinctive traditions, and a population nearly as big as Switzerland's (7.5 million). It is one of Spain's wealthiest regions, making up 16% of the national population and accounting for almost 19% of Spanish GDP.

It's also a vital part of the Spanish state, locked in since the 15th Century.

Barcelona has become one of the EU's best-loved city-break destinations, famed for its 1992 Summer Olympics, trade fairs, football and tourism.

Generations of people from poorer parts of Spain have moved there for work, forming strong family bonds with regions such as Andalusia.

During this crisis, the Catalan economy has suffered. Thousands of businesses, including major banks and energy firms, have moved their headquarters out of the region.

The EU has treated the crisis as an internal matter for Spain, deaf to the separatists' pleas for support.

However, there have been warnings that the issue is damaging Spain's democratic credentials.

In 2017 the Economist Intelligence Unit, which compiles an influential annual democracy ranking, said Spain risked being downgraded from a "full democracy" to a "flawed" one over its handling of the situation.

 

 

BIAFRA NEWS : Queen Elizabeth II dies, World leaders pay tribute after British monarch's passing

 

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully surrounded by her family

World leaders have started to pay tribute to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II after her family announced her passing Thursday at the age of 96. 

Elizabeth’s 70-year reign ended as she passed peacefully in her Scottish home of Balmoral, surrounded by her family. Her son King Charles III said the Queen's passing was a moment of "the greatest sadness" for the royal family, and that her death will be "deeply felt" by "countless people around the world." 

President Biden praised the Queen for her "steadying presence" and acting as "a source of comfort and pride." He highlighted the Queen's "unmatched dignity" and her unmatched role as "the bedrock" of the special relationship between the U.S. and U.K. 

"She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection — whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service," he wrote in a statement. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, LONGEST-REIGNING BRITISH MONARCH, DEAD AT 96

Biden also remembered the Queen's comments following 9/11 in which the Queen reminded the world that "grief is the price we pay for love." 

President Biden praised Queen Elizabeth II for her "steadying presence" and acting as "a source of comfort and pride." (Stefan Wermuth)

U.S. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ordered flags flown at half-staff in response to the Queen’s passing. The House will also pass a "bereavement resolution" in honor of the Queen, which the House previously did with her father King George VI’s passing in 1952. 

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement that "the British people’s loss is the entire world’s loss," adding that "Americans join our friends in prayer, in grief, and in gratitude for such a remarkable leader and such a successful reign" and that the Queen was a "shining example" of "sterling character." 

CHARLES BECOMES KING OF ENGLAND AFTER DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Former President Donald Trump spoke of his "tremendous loss and sadness" upon learning of the Queen’s passing and sent condolences to the royal family and people of the U.K. during their "great sorrow and grief." He also remarked that the Queen would be remembered for her "faithfulness to her country and her unwavering devotion to her fellow countrymen and women."

"What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her!" Trump wrote on a Truth Social post. 

Britain's Queen Elizabeth stands with President Biden and first lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor during their visit at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain, on June 13, 2021. (Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS)

Former President Barack Obama said he and former first lady Michelle Obama were "lucky" to have met the Queen, who meant "a great deal" to them. "Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity," he said, adding that she showed them great warmth and "considerable humor and charm." 

Former President George W. Bush remarked on the Queen's "great intellect, charm and wit." 

QUEEN ELIZABETH II MET WITH 13 US PRESIDENTS, FROM TRUMAN TO BIDEN

"Spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty — and her Corgis — is among our fondest memories of the presidency," Bush said in a statement, adding that the world "benefitted from her steady resolve" and "her strong and steadfast friendship."

"Despite spending nearly three quarters of a century as one of the most famous and admired individuals on the planet, the Queen made sure her reign was never really about herself — not her fame, not her feelings, not her personal wants or needs," he continued. "She guided venerable institutions through modern times using timeless virtues like duty, dignity, and sacrifice."

Queen Elizabeth II meets Pope Francis, center, and former Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormack Murphy O'Connor at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City on April 3, 2014. (Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Pope Francis issued a statement in which he offered his condolences to the U.K. and the royal family. He remarked on the Queen’s "devotion to duty" and her "steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ." 

The pope then offered a prayer in which he commended her soul "to the merciful goodness of our Heavenly Father, I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with his unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King. Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your late mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord."

BIDEN, FIRST LADY MOURN DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II: ‘A STATESWOMAN OF UNMATCHED DIGNITY AND CONSTANCY’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the Queen "a good friend" of the United Nations, noting two visits she made to speak at the New York headquarters. He added that she was "a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change." 

"She was deeply committed to many charitable and environmental causes and spoke movingly to delegates at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow," Guterres wrote in his statement. "I would like to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for her unwavering, lifelong dedication to serving her people. The world will long remember her devotion and leadership."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II raises a glass with President Donald Trump during a state banquet in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019. (DOMINIC LIPINSKI//GETTY IMAGES)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of how the Queen marked Canada's modern history, noting that she would proclaim, "It was good to be home," when visiting the country. "She was indeed home here, and Canadians never ceased to return her affection." 

"Her Majesty vowed to devote her life to the service of the Commonwealth and its people," Trudeau wrote. "On behalf of all Canadians, I thank Queen Elizabeth II for honoring this vow and for a lifetime of service."

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: US SENATORS PRAISE, MOURN ‘EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN’ AFTER SEVEN DECADES AS MONARCH

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the Queen leaves behind "an unparalleled legacy of leadership and service," adding, "May her memory be for a blessing!"

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, "HM Queen Elizabeth II was known far and wide simply as The Queen. Her passing is the end of an era. Together with the Israeli people, I grieve her loss and extend my deepest sympathies to the British people and all nations of the Commonwealth, who have lost their matriarch."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh stand with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle ahead of a private lunch hosted by the Queen in Windsor, England, on April 22, 2016. (REUTERS/John Stillwell/Pool/File Photo)

"In her life and in her service to her people, the Queen embodied a spirit of integrity, duty & ancient tradition," Herzog added. "My late mother and father had several audiences with the Queen over the years. Her fond welcome and warm hospitality left a profound impression down the generations."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he learned of the Queen's death "with deep sadness" and that he extended "sincere condolences" to the royal family and the entire United Kingdom for their "irreparable loss." 

French President Emmanuel Macron said he remembered the Queen as "a friend of France," and that she "left a lasting impression on her country and her century." 

Russian President Vladimir Putin also extended condolences to the royal family, claiming that Elizabeth "rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects" in a statement issued and addressed directly to King Charles III. He urged Charles to persevere "in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss." 

Sir Richard Moore, head of British intelligence agency MI-6, praised the Queen for her "unparalleled" service as a "source of stability, good judgment and wisdom." 

"We owe a deep debt of gratitude for her unwavering devotion to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth," he wrote in his statement, adding that he was "always struck by her candor, wit and burning sense of duty." 

BIAFRA NEWS : Goodluck Jonathan, Peter Obi, Atiku react to death of Queen Elizabeth II

 

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after the UK’s longest-serving monarch died on Thursday.

The Queen, who reigned for 70 years after coming to the throne in 1952, died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle.

Her eldest son, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead England in mourning as the new King.

Reacting, Jonathan, in a tweet via his Twitter handle, said the late Queen was a champion of social change and a protagonist of modern Britain, adding that her death will be deeply felt globally.

Jonathan tweeted: “My deepest condolences to King Charles, the United Kingdom and the entire Commonwealth over the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history.

“She was a well-loved sovereign with a strong sense of duty and service, a champion of social change and a protagonist of modern Britain.

“Her Majesty was a remarkable matriarch who exemplified dignity, selflessness, and compassion and, for a long time, stood as a symbol of unity in the Commonwealth.

“Her death will be deeply felt across the world. May God comfort her family and grant her soul eternal repose.- GEJ.”

Also reacting, Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, wrote on Twitter: “I am saddened to hear of the passing on of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. My thoughts and prayers are with the @RoyalFamily, the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth nations, over this irreplaceable loss.

“Hers was an impactful reign and beautiful and explored life devoted to democratic ideals, charity, selflessness and empathy. She will always be remembered by the lives, organisations, institutions and countries she positively touched during her reign. May she rest in eternal peace. –PO.”

Similarly, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar also wrote on Twitter: “The passing of Queen Elizabeth II comes to everyone around the globe with a rude shock.

“Her passing is an end of a golden era. Her reign was epochal, not just in the United Kingdom but the entire Commonwealth.

“The world has known only one Queen, and the passing of Queen Elizabeth II will be the end of an impactful reign, and for the rest of our humanity, it shall be the beginning of history.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the people and government of the United Kingdom and, importantly, the @RoyalFamily. May the soul of the Queen Rest in Peace. –AA.”

BIAFRA NEWS : IPOB Lists Out Names Of APC Party Members Who Held ‘Secret Meeting’ With Orji Uzor Kalu To Abduct 25 Biafran Members

 

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Nigerian Army of raiding and killing innocent residents of the South-East region inside the Ohafia Military Barracks in Abia State.

The group alleged that the army carried out the killings on the approval of the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu.

IPOB made the allegation in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, saying that Kalu had murdered sleep and should be ready for a long-drawn battle by the group.

IPOB stated that it "confirms the report of barbaric and secret murder of arrested innocent Biafrans by Nigeria terrorist military inside Ohafia military barrack under the approval of Alhaji Orji Uzor Kalu. We want to inform Orji Kalu that he and his political accomplices have murdered sleep. They should be ready to confront IPOB in a long drawn battle."

According to IPOB, "Alhaji Orji Uzor Kalu and some people and soldiers in Ohafia held a secret meeting yesterday in Asaga Ohafia and celebrated the killing and execution of our members recently taken into Ohafia Military barracks. They agreed to deal with anybody suspected to be members or sympathisers of IPOB or Biafra agitation.

“They wrote down and submitted 25-names of young men to be abducted as IPOB members to the Nigeria military for possible execution."

The group noted that the security challenge of kidnapping and car snatching around Lokpanta, Isukwuato, Isuochi Umunneochi and Okigwe Umulolo routes were "created and spoon-fed by Alhaji Orji Uzor Kalu."

IPOB listed names of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) members who it alleged were in the said secret meeting "Mr. Ibe Okpo; Hon. Anya Okorie; Chief Michael Nmecha; Awa Kalu Awa; Abuja Uche Imo; Aso Oburu; Roland Onwuka; Nmong Agwu; Awa Nna Lord; Uma Okereke and Biggie."

IPOB further alleged that "Orji Uzor Kalu and some of his APC members are agents paid to maim and destroy our people especially the IPOB family members in Abia North.

“For colluding with murderous military to illegally arrest and kill our people, we are declaring Alhaji Orji Uzor Kalu and the above listed traitors as persona non grata in the Eastern Region.

 

"Anywhere they are seen should be treated as enemies. They are Fulanis in Igbo's skin. Anywhere Orji Uzor is seen doing campaign rally in Biafraland he should be brought to justice. Orji Uzor Kalu should not be allowed to have any political rallies in our territory any longer because he is murdering our people expecially the youths in Ohafia Abia State and he will be held to account for their death," IPOB stated.

BIAFRA NEWS : 2023 IPOB rejects Peter Obi, Igbo presidency

 

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has dismissed the Labor Party, LP, official applicant, Peter Obi, and Igbo administration.

IPOB said it's neither inspired by an Igbo President nor a Nigerian President of Southeast extraction.

The gathering said its individuals are not piece of Obi's allies since they are keen on Nigeria's deterioration.

Emma Powerful, the representative of the dissenter bunch, said Nigeria was hopeless.

In a proclamation he marked, Powerful said: "The Igbo public energizing behind Peter Obi are not IPOB individuals in light of the fact that IPOB's objective is the breaking down of the Nigerian venture regardless of whether Peter Obi or any other person from the Biafran geographic space is challenging in the Nigerian joke of a political race.

"IPOB is an opportunity battling development and has nothing at all to do with or in Nigerian legislative issues. Insofar as we in IPOB are concerned, Nigeria is hopeless."

IPOB likewise emphasized its require the arrival of its chief, Nnamdi Kanu, and a mandate in the Southeast.

BIAFRA NEWS : Ohanaeze cautions UK chieftain, Ukemenam over £10m property claims

 

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has scolded one

 Prof. Joe Ukemenam over his claim that the detained supreme leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s house in London is worth £10million.

Ukemenam was quoted in an interview with Sun Newspapers as saying that Kanu had no traceable business, adding that there is no evidence of tax returns or national insurance contributions on the part of the IPOB leader.

But the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, while reacting, warned Ukemenam against making reckless statements.

Okwu said he wondered how Ukemenam became leader of Ohanaeze in the United Kingdom, noting that his statement was alien to the principles of Ohanaeze Ndigbo which borders on promotion of Igbo interest.

In a statement made available to , the OYC President said, “It is not in doubt that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been residing in London several years before he took the centre stage for the actualization of Biafra.

“One now begins to wonder why someone who calls himself Igbo leader will come up years later to begin to question Nnamdi Kanu’s source of wealth, merely because he is championing Biafra.”

“This leaves us in serious doubt on how he rose to the position of Ohanaeze leader in the United Kingdom. If at all it is true, he should be removed immediately as he lacks the capacity to represent Ndigbo. He is at best an enemy of Ndigbo.

“He clearly exposed himself as an enemy of Ndigbo and a collaborator in the ordeal being faced by the IPOB leader. His claims that the UK government is helpless is also another false narrative taken too far.

“The United Nations has taken a clear stand on Nnamdi Kanu’s case and a million Ukemenam cannot change that,” Okwu declared.

BIAFRA NEWS : Kanu’s release reverberates in France

 

The directive by the United Nations Working Group on Human Rights and Arbitrary Detention for the Federal Government to unconditionally release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, reverberated at Corsica Libera Conference.

IPOB joined other emerging nations from across the world to attend the conference held recently in the France Island region.

Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, who disclosed this at the weekend in a statement, said that IPOB by attending the conference has again accomplished another precious milestone in its unceasing work to extricate the land of Biafra from bondage.

He claimed that “IPOB has placed Biafra for the first time in its history in the minds of the government and people of Corsica during the just concluded EGhjurnate Internazionale Conference which hosted IPOB delegation representing Biafra, a country of about 70 million people currently ruled by Nigeria.”

He also disclosed that IPOB is currently conducting an international information campaign tailored towards demanding the release of its leader, Kanu.

“The IPOB delegation brought to the fore the plight of the Indigenous People of Biafran who are being massacred daily in their numbers by the Nigerian government’s security forces on the one hand and the Islamic terrorist and jihadist groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru and Fulani herdsmen and Fulani bandits.

“Mazi Chika Edoziem, IPOB head of directorate of state of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, addressed the emerging nations on behalf of the IPOB movement worldwide. It is very important for every Biafran to know that one of the major aganda of the IPOB delegation to the E Ghjurnate Internazionale is to secure the support of all the delegates to this Conference for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra,” he said.

According to him, delegates from emerging nations that attended the conference included those from the host country Corsica, Catlunya, Scotland, Tahiti, Sardigna, The Basque, Kabylie, Guyana, New Caledonia, as well as the Artsakh Republic, among others.