Government offers olive branch to Biafran campaigners by freeing detained Ipob members

HOPES of finding a resolution to the growing menace of secessionist calls in southeast Nigeria took a turn for the better yesterday when the federal government announced that it was releasing all arrested members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) held in custody.

 

Over recent months, Ipob has led demonstrations calling for the recreation of the defunct Republic of Biafra that existed briefly between July 1967 and January 1970. It has held large demonstrations across Igboland which turned violent sometimes and several of its members have been arrested and detained by the police as a result.

 

In a bid to calm tensions and find a solution to the crisis, the federal government, through the attorney-general's office has released all Ipob members who were arrested by various security agencies in Aba, Abia State in February. News of the release threw Ipob members into jubilation in various parts of Onitsha, Anambra State.

 

Ipob spokesman Emma Powerful who confirmed the release, said all their members worldwide under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, were commending the attorney-general of the federation and all those who have common sense to understand that all those arrested in Aba must be released. He contended that the release of their members was a good omen since the plight of Ipob is only for the restoration of Biafra and not to take over the rulership of Nigeria from the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

 

Mr Powerful said: “We also urge the attorney general and his team who understand the meaning of non-violent approach towards the liberation of those in bondage in this country to extend such a gesture to other members who were detained in different prisons and security cells in the country, including our leader, Nnamdi Kanu by releasing them without any conditional attachment. Ipob is a liberation movement dedicated to the self determination of the indigenous people of Biafra in line with universally acclaimed processes and procedure.

 

"Having launched Biafrexit, Ipob is fully committed to pursuing a referendum to determine once and for all, the time the issue of the sovereignty of Biafra would come. The same way the British government of David Cameron allowed the Scottish nation to freely choose if they want to be part of the UK or not and most recently, Brexit that culminated into the removal of Britain from the EU, we, in Ipob will continue to demand that the civilized world to prevail on Buhari to allow Biafrans to freely choose where they wish to belong."

 

He added that the issue of Biafran self determination cannot be swept under the carpet because Biafra is in black Africa where acceptable civilized standards are lacking. According to Mr Powerful, what is good for Scotland and Britain at large is also good for Biafra.