Ijaws Owners Of Biafra Not Igbo, Says Asari Dokubo

Former leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Mujaheed Asari Dokubo has said that the name ‘Biafra’ has nothing to do with the Igbos.

Dokubo, in a brief interview with Arise Television on Wednesday, revealed that the term ‘Biafra was coined by an Ijaw man and was originally proposed by the Ijaws and not the Igbos. He also criticized the leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB for wanting to create an ‘Igbo Biafra.

He said; “Ijaw is Biafra. Ijaws are divided between the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. We are the owners of Biafra. Biafra is an Ijaw name, we own it”

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“The territory identified as Biafra is Ijaw. Maybe a little Ibibios towards the end and Oron people.”

“The real Biafra, the name Biafra, the geographical location Biafra is Ijaw and a little Oron and a little bit Ibibio.”

“In 1967, the eastern Ijaws were part of Eastern region. An Eastern consultative assembly was convoked in Enugu and Francis, an Ijaw man gave the name ‘Biafra’, moved the motion that Biafra should be adopted. Francis Opigo, and Biafra was adopted on the 30th of May 1967, the republic of Biafra was declared which included the eastern Ijaw within our territory.”

“So, Biafra has nothing to do with Igbos”

“The Biafran state that was declared in 1967 was not an Igbo state.”, he said.