The leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Kingsley Madu, has declared that Lagos, Nigeria’s capital territory, Abuja, and other cities where Igbos reside and own major investments are all parts of ‘Biafraland.’
The MASSOB leader who made the declaration today, Thursday at Awgu, in Enugu, during a rally organized to welcome the leader of another pro-Biafra group, the Biafra National Guard, ‘General’ Innocent Oji stressed that any part of the country where a large population of Igbos is found, and where Igbos contributed towards human and material development, is part of Biafra,” Madu adding that ‘Biafrans’ would not want to ‘confine’ themselves to a particular place.
Oji who was recently released from detention heads the Biafra National Guard, said to be the ‘military wing’ of the pro-Biafra groups.
Addressing the rally, Madu said that the alleged sacking of Igbo traders from a portion of land at Trade Fair and FESTAC in Lagos by Lagos State Government after they had invested billions of naira in developing the area is unacceptable.
He insisted that Igbo would not be forced out of any part of Nigeria, where they invested lots of resources to develop, Madu vowed, adding that Lagos and Abuja are parts of Biafra.
“Some years back a portion of land at Trade Fair and FESTAC were conceded to our people for development in Lagos.
“After spending billions of naira in developing this part of Lagos for the economic growth of Nigerian government, today information reaching us is that the Federal Government, conniving with the Lagos State Government, yesterday retrieved the land, the platform, all the investment and everything from the people of Biafra.
“This is part of the reason for Biafra agitation. And we are warning because we now believe that everywhere an Igbo man is is part of Biafra. That is the latest ideology we have.
“We don’t want to confine ourselves to a particular place; we now believe that wherever our foot touches is our land that is Biafra. Lagos is also Biafra, Abuja is also Biafra. Anywhere our people are that place is Biafra.
“So what we are saying now is that that part of Lagos that our people developed with their money is also part of Biafra and we cannot leave.”
The MASSOB leader, however, advised Igbos to locate their investments in the ‘Biafra mainland’, South-East and South-South, where they are guaranteed safety and protection.
He welcomed Oji back home after several years in detention.
Earlier, Oji, leader of Biafra National Guard, commended Madu for carrying on with the struggle while he was incarcerated.
Oji declared that Biafra will be achieved in less than one year.
The Biafra military wing leader warned that any attempt by the Federal Government to arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who he described as ‘Supreme Leader’, would be met with stiff resistance.
“By the grace of God, this struggle will not last beyond one year from now because we have our strategy.
“But if the Federal Government feels we cannot do anything let them go and arrest our supreme leader, Nnamdi Kanu, for them to see what we can do.”
Oji also warned the British Government, which he said was responsible for the perceived oppression of Igbos.
“Have it in your mind today that Britain is aware of what is happening in Nigeria, all these things they are doing to us is caused by Britain.
“I am using this opportunity to warn Britain and their government, if they say they are not behind what Fulani herdsmen are doing to our people, killing our people and raping our women and other things, they should come out openly and deny it and ask Nigeria to let us go, otherwise when it will happen nobody should be talking about genocide, Britain should be held responsible.”
Source: The Punch. [myad]
