IPOB, MASSOB blast Radio Biafra Over Planned Protest

A Coalition of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has lashed out at those calling for a stay-at-home on Friday, September 23. A broadcast on Radio Biafra believed to be an arm of IPOB had called on Igbo people living in the south east to stay at home in protest against the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra and leader of IPOB.


 NAN reports that in a statement by the coordinator and secretary of the coalition, Messrs Okanu Muoneme and Basil Okwu, they said although the release of Nnamdi Kanu was their focus, they would not allow the unnecessary death of their members.

The Biafra protests turned violent on Monday, May 30 after confrontations between the protesters and security agencies. The coalition also called for the development of the south east and south south region and asked the federal government to address the infrastructural decay in the regions.

“We, IPOB and MASSOB, hereby dissociate ourselves from the directives of Radio Biafra broadcasting from overseas that people should stay indoors on Sept. 23 in solidarity for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. “We plead that President Muhammadu Buhari effect the release of Nnamdi Kanu immediately without condition and that all previous court judgments which ordered his release be obeyed without further delay. “We urge the people and every believer of the Biafran struggle to go about their normal businesses without molestation.”

They also frowned on the idea of sacrificing their members while directors of Radio Biafra that were calling for protests enjoyed themselves abroad.

“It is unfortunate that many of our members have died and others languishing in prisons while a few people operating the Radio Biafra abroad and their former leaders are enjoying themselves. “We shall no longer allow ourselves to be used as guinea pigs.”

Biafra protests in the past have usually led to violence resulting in the death of protesters and sometimes security operatives. A protest that took place in May in Onitsha, Anambra state led to the death of 30 Biafra agitators while two policemen were thrown into the River Niger. Commercial activities were paralyzed as a result, with vehicular movements stopped with burn fires all over the roads.
Read more: https://www.naij.com/977455-youre-enjoying-london-igbos-die-massob-ipob-blasts-radio-biafra.html