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Fear, panic as Biafra agitators celebrate 50 years of battle for Biafra republic
There is fear and panic in the eastern states of Nigeria as the Biafra agitators celebrate 50 years of struggle for Biafra republic
-Police have warned against the directive but the people are likely not willing to bow to police directive today
- In the previous agitations, there were recorded deaths and destruction of property in the flash point states and cities
Following the planned sit-at-home order, a directive from the leaders of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to celebrate 50 years of agitation for Biafra, there is tension across the south east and some south south states of the country.
All the states in the south east, comprising Enugu, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Abia will be the hotbed states for the movement’s sit-at-home directive. Other states that are likely to be hit besides the major Igbo speaking states are Delta with specific mention of Asaba, the Delta state capital and Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.
These are the major areas where blood has continuously flowed any time the pro-Biafra groups make move to protest for one reason or the other. The police and soldiers have never allowed them to carry out their activities without intimidation or harassment and the result has been blood and death.
In Asaba, there has been recorded deaths resulting from clashes between police officers and the Biafra sympathisers. In Port Harcourt, blood has also flowed as the groups march through the city in protests. The clashes have most times been violent and casualties recorded from both parties but majorly from the pro Biafra groups.
However, the previous protests have been done in response to the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Director of Radio Biafra, who has been in Kuje prison for almost two years prior to his release a few weeks ago. The sit-at-home order fixed for today, May 30, is said to be in celebration of the 50 year struggle for the demand for the actualization of Biafra republic.
In all these protests, lives and properties have always been lost to clashes between the security apparatus and the youths. Soldiers have been badly involved in the clashes and they have never taken it lightly with the Biafra protesters even without provocation.
In the sit-at-home-order for today, the agitating groups have said it is for the remembrance of the 50 year struggle for Biafra independence. The struggle dates back to 1967 when Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared Biafra republic, a secessionist move from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The secessionist move was in response to alleged marginalization of the eastern states which Ojukwu, then military governor of Nigeria eastern region, felt was unacceptable to him and his people. Although several meetings were held to reconcile the federal government with Ojukwu, the meetings could not produce a good result, hence the war was seen to be the last resort.
That singular action taken by Ojukwu resulted to the civil war which was fought for over 30 months, leading to several deaths and innumerable number of property lost. Children were left starving to death as the federal government blocked food supply to the Biafra land as part of strategy to win the war.
But from the cessation of hostilities in January 1970 till the resurgence of the Biafra struggle by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, there had been peaceful co-existence between the larger Nigeria and the eastern states of the country. Although the people of the east have complaints of marginalization by the government of Nigeria, the Nigerian people have lived peacefully from 1970.
Fear, panic as Biafra agitators celebrate 50 years of battle for Biafra republic
The arrest of Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government following his alleged crime of treasonable felony resurrected the battle for the Biafra republic. He was alleged to have made utterances which are antithetical to the unity of Nigeria, hence his arrest and prosecution by the federal government, which lasted for almost two years. His release was delayed due to President Muhammadu Buhari’s unwillingness to obey court orders.
Although some Nigerians are of the view that the sit-at-home-order has no security implication for the country, the security apparatus has a different view to the entire scenario. The police authorities have issued threat statements warning against uprising and calling on the Biafra groups to rescind the directive, directing Nigerians, especially residents of the eastern states to shun the directive and go about the normal duties.
It is very much unclear whether the easterners will obey the police directive to go about their normal duties and disregard the directive of the Indigenous People of Biafra. The groups have never bowed to the directive of the security apparatus in the country, undermining the quantity of threat against them.
They have always proceeded with their planned programme and the results have always been very disastrous. Incalculable number of property have been lost and some of the protesting youths have paid the supreme price for their agitation. Soldiers have always gone loose, releasing bullets and leaving many wounded and other dead.
One significant issue about the agitation, Philipconcept Blog's gathered is that the protest and agitation have always been done by youths and not the political class and elders. Going through all the states of the protesting groups, one will see that the agitators are youths. Besides the fact that the protesters are youths, the political class have never been supportive of their demands.
The eastern people serving in the federal executive council, senators from the east, members of the House of Representatives, state governors and the state house of assembly members have been showing apathy to the move. This, it is believed, is one of the undoing of the agitators.
Observers are of the opinion that the agitators may not achieve anything worthwhile while their eastern compatriots are feeding fat from the table of the federal government and the youths are busy agitating at home. People as Chris Ngige, Ogbonaya Onu, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state and a host of others are allegedly against the demand of the agitators.
They, especially Okorocha, have allegedly made statements that are antithetical to the desire of the groups. Sympathetic Nigerians are of the belief that the agitators may not go far if the power brokers from the east do not support their desire. Some have said the ministers are afraid of losing their source of livelihood as they are likely to be thrown out of the federal executive council or persecuted if they are discovered to be supportive of the Biafran cause.
However, it is believed that some of the governors and political bigwigs have interest in the agitation of the people of Biafra but very much unwilling to indicate open interest in the fight. This may not be far from the truth as they have sworn on oath during their swearing in ceremonies that they will be loyal to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Some have also said even Delta state government that has violently refused to be part of Biafra, let alone join in the agitation is playing the ostrich game. This is so because, there are facts that some groups in Delta are sympathetic to the cause of the Biafran people. But because they are serving the government of Nigeria, they cannot make bold their interest in the Biafran struggle, hence the denials and refusal to join in the struggle.
The sit-at-home-order for today has drawn global attention to the eastern states of Nigeria once again. Security has been beefed up in the affected states, especially in the flashpoint cities. There is fear and panic in the states. Cities like Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Enugu, Nnewi, Port Harcourt, Asaba are under heavy security watch as any assumed lawless move will receive immediate response from the police and soldiers in the area.
There is every certainty that markets are going to be closed. The roads are going to be free of traffic because the Biafran agitators have never rescinded their planned action irrespective of police action and intimidation from soldiers. But from the action of the agitators, there are likely no intentions of going violent. Violence may only arise when there is provocation from the security apparatus.
