Edo, Kogi, Cross River, Bayelsa part of Biafra – IPOB replies PANDEF, Igala group

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday insisted that Biafra territories cover Edo, Kogi, Cross River and Bayelsa states.

IPOB made the remark while faulting the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, and an Igala group for condemning the inclusion of the Niger Delta and Kogi State in the Biafra territories.

PANDEF had warned the proponents of the Biafra Republic against including communities in the Niger Delta or South-South geopolitical zone in their secessionist plans.

Also, the Eastern Senatorial District of Kogi State, which spoke through a group under the auspices of Igala Youth Council, condemned the inclusion of the state in the secessionist agenda.

The group noted that the viral video of IPOB outlining their plans for a 40-state Biafran nation was not only laughable but a joke taken too far.

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Reacting, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said: “The myriad of statements purportedly emanating from some of these recruited faceless individuals on social media and belatedly from alleged Igala groups and PANDEF, disassociating themselves from Biafra is not only pathetic but laughable.

“For the thousandth time, we wish to make it abundantly clear that ancient Igboland spans 13 states of Nigeria.

“These are not areas occupied by Igbo speaking people but are ancient Igbo land with Igbo people in them. Therefore the hate inspired, politically motivated gerrymandering of borders in Igboland to create the misleading impression that Igboland and Igbo people are confined to only 5 states of the Southeast is a lie this IPOB shall confront and will continue to confront until the truth is not only acknowledged but acted upon via the instrumentality of a United Nations supervised referendum as was the case in Southern Sudan, the newest state to emerge in Africa.

“Those is Igala and PANDEF that claim they don’t want anything to do with Biafra, must also know and accept that Igboland in these territories Gowon and the British ceded to the North, Mid-West and the so-called South South will eternally be Igboland and no jupiter will change this irrefutable fact. When the Nigerian state balkanised ancient Igboland by carving these territories into their newly created ‘non-Igbo’ states, nobody complained because IPOB had not come by then.

“Now that God has determined that we must come, we IPOB are here and we say without any fear of contradiction that Igboland is one and indivisible, from those carved into Kogi State to Bayelsa and from those in Cross River to Edo.

“Our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is on record as having said repeatedly that no ethnic group, tribe or clan will be forced to become part of Biafra.

“Biafra shall be a model nation founded along the principles of confederacy as obtains in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, with the consent of the people wilfully expressed in a UN supervised referendum. PANDEF and our brothers in Igala land should wait for an opportunity to express their preference in a referendum before deciding where they wish to belong or not.

“We must also be guided by the fact that the wonderful people of Obosi in Anambra State have within them those who are descended from the land of Igala in present day Kogi State. If in doubt ask the Attah of Obosi. We Biafrans are republican by nature and no single human being arrogate powers unto himself without the consent of the people. Therefore, there can never be any government or prime minister without the consent of every Biafran, willfully expressed in a widely accepted democratic process. In other words, to be the head of state, prime minister or any officer of state in Biafra, you must be voted for by the people.

“Biafra is a project ordained by our Almighty God himself and no amount of subterfuge, deceit, lies, murder, kidnapping or persecution will make us deviate from this peaceful path to freedom.”