SEPERATIST group the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) has called on governors from across the southeast geo-political zone to emulate Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose and condemn the killing of innocent protesters by security forces.
On Monday, about 30 people were reportedly killed in Onitsha when separatist protesters clashed with security forces during a march to celebrate Biafra Day marking the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the defunct republic. It was on May 30, 1967, that the former governor of the old Eastern Region Lt Col Odumegwu Ojukwu declared Biafra a sovereign state, sparking off the Nigerian civil war.
Since the killings, there have been calls for an investigation into what happened and Governor Fayose has been one of the fiercest critics of the federal government over the incident. Yesterday, Ipod called on southeast governors, political leaders as well as those who claim to be Igbo and non-Igbo elder statesmen to emulate Governor Fayose who has been outspoken in condemning the killing of non-violent Biafran agitators.
Ipod spokesman Emma Powerful, said responsible Nigerians should also prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to do the right thing by releasing its leader and Radio Biafra director Nnamdi Kanu. Since October last year, Mr Kanu has been in detention and is facing six charges in court, including treason and operating an illegal radio station.
Mr Powerful said: “We have high esteem for Governor Fayose, who has shown that he is the only detribalised politician after the late Owelle of Onitsha Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, that is still living and does not play politics with the lives of any citizen of Nigeria. We are telling the people of Ekiti State that they have a son in whom Biafrans, Ipob and other Biafra agitators are well pleased with, this is not because he condemned the federal government of Nigeria for killing agitators but because he equally condemned the killing by Fulani herdsmen in Agatu in Benue and Nimbo in Enugu States and others.
“He has equally stood tall by single handily and constructively criticised the All Progressive Congress government in all their irresponsible and anti-Nigeria’s policies when his party members and other Nigerian politicians have been afraid and intimidated not to talk for fear of being arrested for one alleged corrupt act or the other.”
Widely condemned by civil; rights groups, the attack by the army has been described as a massacre of innocent and unarmed civilians. However, the Nigerian Army has hit back at its critics, saying some members of Ipob and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra were shot because security forces acted in self-defence when their intervention to restore law and order was resisted by the agitators.
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