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Tag: Biafra

  • Biafra: Court summons Orji Kalu over recent 'outbursts' on Nnamdi Kanu’s whereabouts

    Biafra: Court summons Orji Kalu over recent 'outbursts' on Nnamdi Kanu’s whereabouts

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, to appear on November 14, 2018, to testify on the whereabouts of the missing leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

    The request to summon the former governor to appear in court was filed by Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

    The subpoena, which bore the Federal High Court’s stamp and dated October 11, 2018, was signed by the “judge” and a copy of the subpoena was made available to journalists by Ejiofor on Friday.

    The matter is before Justice Binta Nyako.

    It read, “You are commanded in the name of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend before this court on the 14th day of November, 2018, at 9 o’clock in the forenoon, … to give evidence on behalf of the defendant, with regards to your knowledge on the whereabouts of the defendant.

    “As contained in your interview granted the press/media on 18th September, 2018, after your visit to the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, retd, in Minna, and the interview was widely reported both in print and online media.”

    Ejiofor said in a statement that Kalu was being summoned because of his recent “outburst” about Kanu’s whereabouts.

    He said, “Following the recent outburst by Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, wherein he announced to the world during a private visit to the former Head of State’s residence (Ibrahim Babangida) that he knows the whereabouts of my client (Nnamdi Kanu), and obvious misleading political points scored vide the said unguarded expression, we have formally caused the Federal High Court seized of the substantive matter to subpoena Orji Uzor Kalu to appear before His Lordship Hon. Justice B. M Nyako on the 14th day of November 2018 to give account of what he knows about the whereabouts of my client (Nnamdi Kanu).”

    Kanu was being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony alongside some alleged IPOB members before he went missing in 2017, after soldiers invaded his home in Afara-Ukwu, Abia State, during the ‘Operation Python Dance’ by the military to quell the agitation for the realisation of Biafra Republic in the South-East in September 2017.

    While Kanu’s lawyer had continuously insisted that the IPOB leader was in military’s custody, Kalu had reportedly said he (Kanu) had escaped to the United Kingdom after the military operation.

    This informed the Kanu’s legal team to have the former governor summoned to testify on what he knows about the IPOB leader’s whereabouts.

     

  • Biafra: IPOB women protest, demand Nnamdi Kanu’s release

    Biafra: IPOB women protest, demand Nnamdi Kanu’s release

    The police in Imo on Friday arrested some women protesting over the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for allegedly conducting an unlawful assembly.

    Some of the women, mostly of middle age and from the Southeast states, were half nude, while others dressed in black and marched through the streets of Owerri.

    They disrupted vehicular movement and other activities in some parts of the town.

    The protesters chanted war songs and displayed different placards with inscriptions asking the federal government to release Mr Kanu.

    The women claimed that the security agencies knew the whereabouts of Mr Kanu who has been out of public view since he had an encounter with the military in Umuahia about one year ago.

    They asked Governor Rochas Okorocha to help them actualise their dream of a getting Biafra.

    The women later barricaded the popular Government House Roundabout and created a chaotic atmosphere around the area.

    One of their leaders, Ann Ibe said they came out in full force to fight for the actualisation of their dream.

    She said they were ready to die for the cause.

    When a special team of police officers sent by the Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, arrived at the scene, the protesters broke into a dance.

    Some of them pulled off their clothes and danced naked, while others lay on the ground and dared the police.

    The police succeeded in arresting some of the protesters in spite of their offering serious resistance.

    Commenting on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, said the women were arrested for conducting an illegal assembly and holding an unlawful protest.

  • Biafra: Ohanaeze blasts IPOB for outlining ‘conditions for peace’

    The apex Igbo cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has described as spurious, mendacious and the height of blackmail for the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), to outline what it called the preconditions for peace between it and Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    In a press release, the Special Adviser to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Media and Publicity, Chief Emeka Attamah, regretted that after all Ohanaeze was doing to advance the interest of Ndigbo, IPOB was still recalcitrant and refused to allow peace which is a sine qua non for progress and the achievement of self-determination for Ndigbo.

    The release said that the press hype IPOB was engaging in as preconditions for reaching a peaceful coexistence with Ohanaeze Ndigbo was most unfortunate, especially after the efforts done by the President General to challenge the Federal Government on all wrongs done to IPOB.

    Attamah recalled that at his inauguration on the 11th of January 2017, Chief Nwodo had, in defiance of the obvious hatred and animosity of the federal government towards IPOB, stated that both IPOB and MASSOB were his children and that he would not abandon them because their cause was his cause.

    The President General was explicit then that there are two approaches to any struggle: violence or dialogue and that he preferred dialogue.

    The release further said that at all the peace meetings Ohanaeze had held with IPOB, Chief Nwodo had always explained that the apex body had nothing to do with the proscription of IPOB by the federal government.

    “On the contrary, Chief Nwodo had confronted the GOC of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu to carry out investigation and trial of soldiers who went outside the rules of engagement in the killing of members of IPOB during the Operation Python Dance.”

    The release said that when IPOB was proscribed, Ohanaeze again challenged the Attorney General of the federation to show cause why IPOB, a harmless and an unarmed pressure group, could be proscribed while Miyetti Allah, the umbrella body of the killer Fulani herdsmen was being romanced by the same federal government.

    Attamah stated that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had restrained itself from engaging in a press war with IPOB because as Chief Nwodo always says, a father should not quarrel with his children in the public, but that the truth is palpably in the public domain.

    He said that this is why all the vituperation being poured on Chief Nwodo by IPOB both on the pages of newspapers and through text messages to his phones had not elicited any challenge from Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    The release advised IPOB to see the two demands by IPOB for a referendum or State of Biafra and that of restructuring by Ohanaeze as efforts towards achieving the same objective of self-determination, but that under the present situation, restructuring was preferable as it precludes bloodshed.

    Attamah regretted that now that Chief Nwodo has been able to galvanize Ndigbo and, indeed, the South-South, South-West, Middle-Belt and some parts of the North to embrace restructuring to ensure equity and fairness for all the federating units in the country, IPOB is rather distracting Ohanaeze from giving Ndigbo a better place of pride.

    Ohanaeze, therefore, enjoined all well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters to call on IPOB to embrace peace and form a synergy with Ohanaeze to enable Ndigbo achieve a better political and economic space for themselves in the country.

     

     

  • Bloody Biafra day: Five killed, several others arrested as agitators clash with police

    Not less than five people were feared killed yesterday while the police arrested several members of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) in the South-East and South-South regions.

    Several others were injured in clashes with police during rallies in support of planned declaration of Biafra Republic and hoisting of the Biafran flag.

    The rallies were held in major cities of Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Rivers and Delta states. Five people were said to have been killed while four others were injured in Anambra State during the 18th anniversary of the “independence of the New Biafra” by the members of MASSOB.

    The Director of MASSOB Information, Mazi Chris Mocha, said in a statement that the celebration was in continuation of the desire of the group to achieve a sovereignty state of Biafra.

    He said: “While we were gathered at the Onitsha-Oweri Road, by Obosi junction, a joint military task force, including the Army, Navy, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in over 45 Hilux vehicles shot five of our members dead. “About 206 members were arrested.

    The arrested members included Chief Christian Ifejika, Declan Okafor, Gloria Umejesi, Rose Oforbike, Fidelis Oduenyi, and 173 others.” Mocha said that four persons – Chief Vincent Iloh, Ebuka Emmanuel, Innocent Okolie and Mrs Virginia Ubazuonu – received machete cuts on their heads from the Joint Task Force (JTF) members in their desperate attempt to disperse the crowd. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Haruna Mohammed, said he was not aware of any arrest or killing. In Imo State, about 84 members of Chief Ralph Uwazuruike-led MASSOB and BIM were arrested by the police in Owerri.

    According to the Owerri Zonal Leader of MASSOB/BIM, Mr. Samuel Njoku, some members of the group were arrested while conducting a press briefing at the old Timber market (Ogbo Osisi) on Wetheral Road, Owerri, while others were arrested on their way to the rally from Orlu, Mgbidi, Ngor Okpala, Mbaise and Okigwe.

    On the reason for their rally, Njoku explained that “since the end of the Civil War in 1970, no Igbo was courageous enough to mention Biafra until Chief Uwazuruike launched MASSOB on September 13, 1999 and on May 22, 2000 declared and hoisted the flag for the new Biafra.”

    According to him, the uniqueness of May 22 anchored on its historic importance makes the day a big event for the struggle for the emancipation of Biafran people.

    The state PPRO, Andrew Enwerem, said arrested members of BIM/MASSOB were separatists who were nabbed by security operatives of the command from various parts of the state. He said the arrests were based on intelligence information that MASSOB/BIM members were about to conduct themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace. As early as 7:30a.m., security men were stationed at various entry points of Owerri, to stop MASSOB members from joining the rally while others were also stationed at various local government areas.

    Despite the heavy security presence, the demonstrators were able to arrive in buses from nearby council areas of the state with Biafra flags and placards bearing various inscriptions depicting commitment to Biafran state, wearing Biafran military uniforms and chanting Biafran songs and solidarity slogans.

    At least 10 members of MASSOB and BIM were arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Hundreds of Baifra supporters outside Rivers had stormed Port Harcourt to mark the event, starting a procession at Mile Market and were heading towards Eleme Junction before they were intercepted around Garrison Junction by security operatives.

    The security men thereafter released tear gas into the air and arrested 10 of the protesters, mostly those wearing military and NSCDC camouflage. Those that were arrested, according to some of the Biafra supporters, were subsequently taken to the Olu-Obasanjo Police Station in Port Harcourt. Meanwhile, the state PPRO, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said he was not aware of the arrest. The leader of MASSOB in the state, Solomon Chukwu, lamented that the arrest was unnecessary, noting that they only embarked on a procession and did not engage in any violent behaviour.

    Police, soldiers and other security agents arrested scores of members for MASSOB and BIM in Abakaliki in Ebonyi State. Security agencies in the state accosted them on Nkaliki Road as they started the peaceful march, fired tear gas at them and arrested some of them. Army, Department of State Security (DSS) and the police carried out the joint operation. Commander of the Nigerian Military Cantonment in Nkwegu, Col. S. O. Sadiq, confirmed the participation of the Army in the arrest of the Biafra agitators.

    He said all the arrested persons were handed over to the police. Sadiq said that MASSOB did not notify security agencies in the state of the event in writing which he said necessitated the arrest.

    The state PPRO, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident but could not give the actual number of persons arrested.

    “I don’t have the details of the actual number of persons arrested right now, when I get the full details I will let you know,” she said.

  • IPOB declares May 30 sit-at-home protest

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared May 30, 2018 sit–at-home day in remembrance of the Biafra struggle, victims of Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram violence and those who died in the hands of security agencies in Nigeria.

    In a statement on Friday by its spokesperson Emma Powerful, the pro-Biafra group urged the people of Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt, particularly Benue, Adamawa, Kogi, victims of herdsmen terrorism in Ondo State and other South West states to join IPOB in the protest.

    Powerful stated that this year remembrance would also be a date to remember those that lost their lives because there was no one to defend them.

    He said: “There will be no human, vehicular or animal movement across Biafraland on 30th May, 2018. Biafraland will be in total lock down. The people of Middle Belt and Yorubaland are advised to join this historic sit-at-home to honour the memory of all that died unjustly in Nigeria.

    “Churches, mosques, synagogues and temples are encouraged to open their places of worship on the midnight of the 29th of May for special midnight prayers in remembrance of all that died as a result of violence. Special vigil will also be held at the homes of select Biafran heroes.”

    IPOB noted that 30th of May is an annual remembrance event initiated by IPOB worldwide to honour fallen Biafran soldiers.

  • JUST IN: Biafra protesters storm Westminster, demand release of Nnamdi Kanu from Buhari [Photos]

    Some Biafran protesters are currently demonstrating at the Pall Mall Street, Westminster as President Muhammadu Buhari prepares to meet Queen Elizabeth II, British Prime minister Theresa May and other heads of government.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Westminster is 650 metres from Buckingham Palace venue of the meeting.

    The protesters are, among other things, requesting the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and a referendum on the fate of Biafra.

    As the protest is ongoing, the president and other heads of states are currently being received by May, the British PM and Patricia Scotland, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth, at the official opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2018)

     

  • Biafra: Court resumes trial of IPOB members without Nnamdi Kanu

    Biafra: Court resumes trial of IPOB members without Nnamdi Kanu

    The Federal Government on Tuesday filed a fresh three-count charge of treasonable felony against four members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    The four accused persons are Bright Chimeze, Benjamin Madubugwu, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and David Nwawuisi.

    They were initially facing a similar charge along with the wanted IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

    Following the stalling of the trial by the disappearance of Mr. Kanu in September last year, the prosecution lawyer, Shuaibu Labaran, asked the court to hear the charge against the other defendants separately.

    The request was granted by the court presided by Binta Nyako and resulted in the new charge read before the court on Tuesday.

    The four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Earlier, Mr. Labaran read from a sheet of paper which he described as the published version of an online publication, wherein a threat was made on the life of an operative of the State Security Service by IPOB members.

    According to Mr. Labaran, a picture of the alleged operative was taken during the last sitting and used on the social media, with a threat by the IPOB members to “teach the operative a lesson”.

    Responding, however, counsel to one of the defendants, Nnemeka Ejiofor, asked the court to disregard the publication as well as the allegation.

    Mr. Ejiofor accused the prosecution of fabricating the said allegation, stressing that the alleged publication “does not bear any similarities with a traceable medium.”

    In a ruling, the judge warned journalists and family members to desist from taking pictures in the court room.

    “Otherwise, I shall ban the press. I shall also ban family members. I can do all that,” said Mrs. Nyako.

    The judge also warned parties that she would not allow the lawyers to waste time in her court.

    She adjourned the case till Thursday for further hearing.

  • Produce Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB tells FG

    Outlawed pro-Biafran group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has asked the Nigerian government to produce its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

    The group also called for the release of four others standing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged lack of evidence.

    Those facing trial are Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawusi, Bright Chimezie Ishinwa, and Chidiebere Onwudiwe.

    Kanu has not been seen in public since September 2017, when the Nigerian military carried out an operation in the Southeast codenamed Exercise Python dance.

    The Nigerian government and the military have consistently denied holding the IPOB leader.

    “Either they release our brothers tomorrow unconditionally or we, Biafrans, will intensify our campaign of civil disobedience on the streets of Biafraland and beyond,” spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said in a statement.

    He alleged plans to adjourn Tuesday’s sitting.

    “We have truly endured this injustice for far too long and enough is enough.

    “We shall not allow this to continue unchallenged. The incessant adjournment of this court case must be put to a stop today. Self determination is enshrined in the United Nations Charter of rights of indigenous people and African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which was ratified by Nigerian government and domesticated into the laws of Nigeria.

    “Therefore, it is within the legitimate right of IPOB to agitate for self determination, using the same law as provided by the United Nations and the African Union, which Nigeria is a signatory to.

    “We, hereby, place the judiciary of Nigeria and the world at large on notice that less than 24 hours to the commencement of trial of those charged with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, they are still to be served an amended charge as ordered by the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, at the last hearing over four weeks ago.”

  • Biafra: IPOB appeals proscription order

    The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has asked the Court of Appeal to upturn its proscription and declaration as a terrorist organisation.

    Recall that Justice Adamu Kafarati of the Federal High Court on September 22, 2017, made the order while ruling on an ex parte application by Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    On January 18, Justice Kafarati rejected a motion by IPOB, seeking among others, the reversal of the order.

    In an appeal filed yesterday by its lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor, IPOB urged the Court of Appeal to set aside the entire decision by the Federal High Court, including the order proscribing it and declaring it a terrorist group.

    The group, in the appeal in which it raised five grounds, argued that the mandatory statutory condition requiring the President’s approval, under Section 2 (1) (C) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013, was not met.

    It also argued that the memo purportedly giving an approval to the AGF’s request for the proscription of IPOB was signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari, instead of President Muhammadu Buhari himself as stipulated by law.

    IPOB argued that “the trial judge erred in law, when he ruled that the mandatory statutory condition requiring president’s approval, under Section 2 (1) (C) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013, was satisfied, on the authority of the Memo of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to the President dated September 15, 2017, thereby occasioning a miscarriage of justice.”

    It stated that: “A cursory look at the Memo of the Attorney General of the Federation dated 15th day of September 2017, addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, being relied upon or referred to by the learned trial judge, as constituting the mandatory President’s approval granted before an application Exparte for the proscription of the appellant’s activities and its designation as terrorist organisation, was made to the court, shows that it is a mere memo from the Attorney General of the Federation to the President requesting for the said President’s approval, prescribed under Section 2 (1)(C) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, and not the mandatory President’s approval envisaged under the Act.

    “The purported President’s approval dated the September 18, 2017 addressed to the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, captioned “Approval of the President, Commander-In-chief of the Armed Forces for the declaration/proscription of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 2(I) (A) (B) & (C) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013”, was signed by ABBA KYARI, designated as Chief of Staff to the President, and was not signed by the President as required under Section 2 (1)(C) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

    “Under Section 40 of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, which deals with the interpretation of words or phrases, the word “President” as used in the Act, refers and only means the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and acts specified under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act to be done by the President must be done by the President himself, the Act does not provide for this specialised power to be delegated to any officer, staff or personnel of the President to act, on behalf of the President.

    “The important condition that the President will have to give his approval was neither satisfied by the Attorney General’s memo of September 15, 2017 nor corrected by the purported approval signed by the Chief of Staff to the President.

    “There was no valid approval given by the President in the Memo, in satisfaction of the mandatory requirement under section 2 (1)(C) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.”

    The appellant argued in the second ground of appeal that “the learned trial judge erred in law, when upon his formulation of issues arising for determination in the ruling delivered on the January 18, 2018, and in consideration therefore, arrived on findings of facts that were grossly faulted by non-evaluation of affidavit evidence placed before the court, and recondite issues of law set out for the trial court’s determination, by the appellant; thereby occasioning a miscarriage of justice.”

  • Okowa mourns Biafra hero, Col. Joseph Achuzia

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has expressed sadness over the death of Col. Joseph Achuzia, a former civil war veteran and Ikemba of Asaba.

    The governor’s condolences were contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Charles Aniagwu on Wednesday in Asaba.

    Achuzie, popularly known as “Hannibal”, died on Feb. 26 at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba. He was 90 years.

    Okowa recalled Achuzia’s active and remarkable role in the Nigerian civil war, adding that the deceased was one of the finest military officers of his generation, who served Nigeria selflessly.

    He said that Achuzia’s passion for an egalitarian society was worthy of emulation, recalling that until his death, he had been an active community leader, in spite of his advanced age.

    Okowa expressed belief that Achuzia, who had a distinguished career as a soldier in both the Nigerian and Biafran armies, would be remembered for his passion for a just and equitable society.

    Okowa joined Achizia’s family and friends to mourn the late patriot and nationalist, who had left behind an impressive legacy of discipline, honesty, integrity and hard work in military service.

    “On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta State, I extend my heart-felt condolences to the Achuzia family, the Asagba in Council on the death of Col. Joseph Achuzia, the Ikemba of Asaba.”

    The governor urged the family, friends and associates of Achuzia to always uphold the values and principles which the man lived for.

    Okowa prayed that God would grant Achuzia’s soul a perfect rest.