Fifteen days to the anticipated Anambra State governorship election, the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB has declared a one-week-long sit-at-home protest in the state to demand the release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The IPOB group who gave the declaration on Saturday, October 23, stated that the sit-at-home progression starts from November 5 to 10 until the Federal Government gave heed to their outcry.
It could be recalled that Anambra gubernatorial election is scheduled to hold across the state on Saturday, November 5.
But speaking in a statement issued by its Media and Public Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said “Following the adjournment of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to 10th of November 2021, by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“We the great movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafraland from 5th of November to 10th of November except Sunday, November 7th, a day our people worship the Almighty God if the Nigeria Government fails to release our leader unconditionally before 4th of November 2021.
“Our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021, because he has not committed any offence known to any law.
“Failure to release our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on or before November 4, 2021, our one-week Sit-At-Home begins on November 5, 2021, till November 10.
“Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans.
“We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our Leader was brought in court and discovered that the federal government is not sincere and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in DSS custody to rot there.
“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people who came from all around the world to witness his court case were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness!
“We cannot accept that anymore. We can never allow our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be tried secretly and we can never also allow him to be tried under Sharia law under any guise. Nigeria must follow International laws in handling our leader.
“Unless the federal government releases him unconditionally before November 4, we shall sacrifice one week for him as a warning protest to convey to our oppressors that Nnamdi Kanu represents over 70 million Biafrans.
“He is innocent of all the charges preferred against him. As long as he is in detention our individual businesses do not matter so much because he is suffering for us all and we can’t abandon him.
“We seriously regret the inconveniences this may cause our people but it’s a necessary sacrifice we need to make until we have our full independence. Nobody resident in Biafra land is expected to flout this directive as doing so amounts to challenging the will of the people on the Biafra project,” the release stated.
Nwachineke Onyeke Chekwube reporting, Obinwannem news writer/October 24, 2021.
