The Indigeneous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced that it would celebrate Nigeria’s Independence on Oct 1 with a sit-at-home to protest what it calls the “failure that Nigeria has become.”
It said it was embarking on this in solidarity with those who are agitating for a separate Yoruba nation out of Nigeria called Oduduwa.
In a statement on Wednesday signed by IPOB spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful, the Biafra separatist group said that they, “wish to announce to all Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom all over the world that Biafrans across the globe shall observe a sit-at-home in Biafraland and where permissible in the diaspora, join our Yoruba bretheren agitating for Oduduwa Republic, in public protests to mark the October 1, 2020.
“We therefore, enjoin all Biafrans and every conscious Nigerian, especially those ethnic nationalities reeling from the triple double blow of state sponsored terrorism, bad governance and economic annihilation, to boycott every government organised ceremony designed to eulogise the failure that Nigeria has become.
“This is the time to let the world know how disastrously intolerable human existence is in Nigeria today.
“If you want to see an end to terrorism and organised mediocrity, now is the time to register your anger by ensuring that you and your household sit-at-home on October 1, 2020”, the statement said.
They went further to say that the: “leadership of this great movement in conjunction with supporters of Biafra freedom across the globe have concluded every arrangement to let the whole world know and understand that we are no longer part of this shambolic monument to terrorism and failure.
“As this long expired man made contraption marks her abused independence on October 1st this year, we IPOB will appropriately declare our intention towards the full and irreversible restoration of Biafra sovereignty and independence for all oppresed ethnic groups in Nigeria.
“Complete and total lockdown of Biafraland and other terror ravaged areas of the Middle Belt come 1st of October 2020 is sacrosanct, irreversible and non-negotiable!”, the statement added.
To make the sit-at-home effective, “We therefore urge that all markets, schools and businesses in Biafraland and beyond be shut down as a mark of respect to all those who have died as a result of terrorism against innocent civilians especially Christians, ethnic cleansing in Southern Kaduna and elsewhere across the Middle Belt.
“Everywhere in Biafraland must be under lock for Nigeria and the world to know that we are all united in our march toward total freedom. There should be no public events or ceremonies in Biafraland to avoid any needless loss of lives.
“We also advise those terrorists recruited into Nigeria’s security forces to face the moster they created in places like Sambisa forest, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, Bornu and other parts of the North where Fulani terrorists have been killing both soldiers and civilians in large numbers.
“Nigerian army and police should direct their attacks on these northern terrorist groups and leave innocent and unarmed Biafrans alone.
“But should they feel as usual to descend on the innocent on that day, they should know that the world will be watching and that we are a people that can never be obliterated from the surface of this earth”, Comrade Powerful concluded.
