IPOB condemns Onitsha killings

ITRealms:

The Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the recent killings of some Biafrans who were on peaceful protest for the Independence of Biafra in Onitsha, reports ITRealms.

In a petition to the Federal Government of Nigeria, IPOB in a press statement made available to ITRealms endorsed by the Secretary-General, Brig Gen Joe Achuzia (rtd) and Public Relations Officer, Eze Iheanyi Nwokenna, said protesters were killed and massacred by the agents of the Nigerian Government, the Defendants in the on-going case in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 between Biafra and Nigeria in the Federal High Court Owerri.

IPOB quoted an eye-witness who survived the massacre who testified as follows: “As we were walking towards the bridge, giving people our flyers, we heard gunshots and people started falling down. That was when I realised they were shooting at us. Many of us ran for our lives, and when the sound of the gunshots subsided, we went back to help those that sustained serious bullet wounds. Three of our comrades were confirmed dead on the spot and over thirty people sustained serious wounds. This morning I woke up to hear that four more have died in the hospital”. 

IPOB, therefore, strongly condemned the gruesome murder of the unarmed children of Biafra by the Nigerian Government.

“We are surprised that the Defendants could exhibit such barbaric and despicable act of human rights violation against the children of the Claimants. We have noted that the children were misguided by the operators of the pirate Radio Biafra into protesting on the street for secession of Biafra without the approval of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra instead of following the due process of law for self-determination going on in the Federal High Court Owerri,” they group said.

They also asserted strongly, that the Defendants had no right to take the laws into their hands and kill the children of the Claimants even if misguided by the Director of Radio Biafra whom we have ostracised from the Biafra Independence Movement.

“As the Governing Council constituting the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), we now put the Defendants on NOTICE that we hold them responsible for the murder and or the extrajudicial killing of our children and shall in due course commence proceedings in the appropriate Court against the Nigerian Government for redress,” IPOB said.

Recalling that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are in Court with Nigeria in a representative capacity by the agency of a human rights organization called Bilie Human Rights Initiative seeking to exercise their rights to self-determination as guaranteed by law. 

As said by IPOB, the law protects them to seek for independence by the rule of law based on both the Nigerian law and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007.They insisted that the legal right to self-determination is different from the call for secession by violence being preached by the operators of Radio Biafra. 

The Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra is His Royal Majesty, His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Eze Ozobu OFR, while the Deputy Leader is Dr Dozie Ikedife OON, JP, both of whom were Past Presidents of Ohaneze Ndigbo.

 
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