Biafra: Ohanaeze Youth Council Defends IPOB, Says Group Non-Violent, Seeks Referendum

The Youth Wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has stated that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a non-violent self-determination group advocating for a referendum in Nigeria.

Ohanaeze said that in the wake of the burning incident at the National Open University Nsu Study Centre and Senator Frank Ibezim’s residence, several political opportunists have disseminated baseless rumors attempting to implicate the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Ibezim was the immediate past representative of the Imo North Senatorial District in the Upper Chamber in Abuja.

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In a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, and Secretary General Ifeanyichukwu Cedric Nweke, they stated that they are aware, through several video clips, that the leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing an illegal trial, warned against criminal elements using IPOB’s name to perpetrate crime in the Southeast.

The statement noted that Kanu has maintained that he is focused on the liberation of Biafra and stressed that he wants the Southeast to remain calm and peaceful.

It reads: “Obviously, since its inception, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has consistently advocated for a non-violent restoration of Biafra. However, the 2021 Owerri Prison break marked a critical turning point.

“It is imperative that Ndigbo retain a vivid recollection of the events that precipitated the current insecurity situation in the Southeast.

“The Nigerian government has been confronted with the reality of widespread discontent among Ndigbo since 2012, when the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) stepped up its referendum campaign under Nnamdi Kanu’s leadership, revealing the entrenched marginalization, victimization, and animosity towards Ndigbo in Nigeria’s politics.

“In 2015, Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest and subsequent release in 2017 sparked concerns about the suppression of political and economic freedom for Ndigbo. The Operation Python Dance and military action at Afaraukwu Ibeku, Nnamdi Kanu’s hometown, culminated in the killing of over 180 Igbo youths.

“Nigeria’s Southeast geopolitical zone has traditionally enjoyed peace, but following the 2021 Owerri Prison break, then-Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu promptly pointed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as culpable, mere hours after the event, just to give a dog a bad name.

“The circumstances surrounding the Owerri jailbreak have raised concerns that former President Mohammed Buhari’s administration may have had a role in the incident, possibly in an effort to persuade the international community to designate IPOB as a terrorist organization.

“Owerri Prison, strategically located near Imo State’s Government House, state police headquarters, and 34 Artillery Brigade Obinze, witnessed an unprecedented jailbreak, with over 1,800 inmates freed during the four-hour incident.

“Remarkably, no swift response was mounted by security agencies, including the nearby state police command, armed prison personnel, or Government House security, despite the proximity of high-ranking military officers living five poles away from Owerri Prison. The federal government’s attribution of the attack to IPOB has sparked controversy and skepticism.

“Concerns have been raised regarding former President Muhammadu Buhari’s purported involvement with unknown gunmen in the Southeast aimed at discrediting IPOB and categorizing the Indigenous People of Biafra as a terrorist organization.

“We urge the current administration to initiate an investigation into the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, specifically to address the incidents of violence, arson, and destruction that occurred in the Southeast from the Owerri Prison break in 2021 to date.

“We advocate for an exhaustive probe, leveraging forensic expertise, scientific methodologies, pictorial documentation, demonstrative evidence, video footage, and multifaceted investigative approaches, to scrutinize the catastrophic incidents plaguing the Southeast, Nigeria’s erstwhile peaceful haven, under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, especially the Owerri Prison break incident.

“In a genuinely democratic nation, President Muhammadu Buhari and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami would typically be summoned for inquiry regarding the incidents of violence involving the unknown gunmen in the Southeast during their tenure.

“It is essential to critically evaluate the factors driving insecurity in the Southeast and resist attributing culpability to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for regional incidents. IPOB upholds its peaceful ideology, striving for the unconditional independence of Igbos and other Old Eastern Nigerian ethnic groups.

“There’s a strong possibility that remnants of the Owerri Prison break in 2021 are being backed by desperate political elements, masquerading as IPOB affiliates and perpetrating crimes in the Southeast.

“Considering the foregoing, those implicating the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the burning of the National Open University Nsu Center and Sen. Frank Ibezim’s residence, especially the recent video clip where they attached the picture of Nnamdi Kanu making claims of burning the National Open University Nsu Center and Sen. Frank Ibezim’s house, should reconsider and acknowledge the reality of the security situation in the Southeast.

“We take this opportunity to refute speculation that the Open University Nsu Centre was intended for use as an IDP camp for Fulanis, repentant Boko Haram members, etc. To clarify, the center will cater exclusively and strictly to internally displaced Igbo youth affected by Southeastern insecurity. We’re aware that the recent crisis has displaced a significant number of individuals from Orlu, Oguta, Ohaji Egbema, and Okigwe Zone, caused by military operations/invasions and violent crimes perpetrated by fake IPOB elements.

“We recommend that His Excellency, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, Executive Governor of Imo State, consider the National Open University Nsu site and location for the Skill Acquisition Training Center, given its superior facilities and strategic proximity to accommodate youths from Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, and Anambra.

“Strategically positioned, the National Open University Nsu Center in Ehime Mbano facilitates easy accessibility for trainees from Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, and Anambra, making it a central location for the four Southeast states.

“Governor Hope Uzodimma should not succumb to politically motivated violence and conspiracies orchestrated by self-serving individuals claiming affinity with IPOB in Ehime Mbano regarding the Skill Acquisition Training Center’s relocation, but rather utilize his executive prerogative to establish a community-led supervisory committee from Nsu clan, tasked with ensuring the center’s exclusive benefit to Southeastern youths through a monitored recruitment exercise.”