Biafra: I'll rather die in prison than for Ohanaeze to claim credit for my release – Kanu
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has warned those who are claiming to be representing them, including the members of Ohaneze Ndigbo and its youth wing Ohaneze Youths Wing, in negotiating for the release of its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to stop such move, that nobody speaks or represent them, unless such person or persons are designated officers of IPOB worldwide.
The group also said that its leader Mr. Kanu has said that he will rather die in jail than the Ohanaeze Ndigbo to claim the glory of his release, saying he has no business with the Igbo Socio cultural Organization.
'I will rather die in jail than for Ohanaeze Ndigbo to claim the glory of my release,' he said.
IPOB in a statement signed by its United kingdom spokesmen, Dr Clifford Iroanya and Emma Mmezu, a lawyer said: 'We are in court and our wish is to expose the fraudulent charge of treasonable felony before the whole world. At the end of this case the corrupt and compromised segment of the Nigerian judiciary will be publicly disgraced.
'Our march to freedom is unstoppable; this is something Buhari ought to know. We have come to die for Biafra if that is what it will take to be free. Our resolve should not be underestimated. As our leader will always say, 'Nigeria will kill us, we will kill them but in the end we will win.'
IPOB reaction follows an alarm raised from Enugu yesterday by some of their members that some people suspected to be Ohanaeze Ndigbo and their youth wing Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Wing were impersonating their leaders in Enugu, claiming to be representing them in meeting with some American Officials who were in Nigeria to have a meeting with IPOB on the release of their leader and what they want be done to them for peace to reign, which they said needs their designated officers presence and contribution, but they were not informed, but the people went ahead to speak for IPOB when they do not have the powers and authorization of the group to speak for them.
Some people alleged to be members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Ohanaeze Youth wing were said to had met with some Americans, at Nike Lake Resort Hotel between 6pm and 7pm Saturday evening.
Information of the alleged meeting at the hotel was said to have got to the attention of the United Kingdom spokespersons of IPOB, who felt embarrassed by the meeting and some of the things the people claiming to be representing IPOB are demanding will be done for IPOB for peace to reign.
'If any country or group is coming to Nigeria to discuss anything concerning IPOB and the release or freedom for our incarcerated leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnandi Kanu, it is no Ohanaeze Ndigbo or their youth wing that will speak for us, because they are not our members and so cannot represent or speak for us, and we urged the Americans who came for the meeting that the alleged representatives of IPOB did not represent or have our support, nobody speaks or represent IPOB except its principal and designated officers.
'We learnt that they cornered some Americans who came to Enugu to have audience with the IPOB over the way forward on the issue of Biafra agitation and the continued incarceration of our leader Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, we want to let the world know that they do not have authority to speak or represent us, they are on their own and should be ignored.
'We want to use this opportunity to tell the Americans that came and the world that the people who claimed to have represented IPOB in the meeting were impostors, they are not members of IPOB, they are the usual Ohanaeze contractors who will always condemn IPOB, but will be fast to hijack anything good that is coming to South East states through IPOB, they do not have our support and will never represent us in anything.
'We want to tell the representatives of the American government who met with them at Nike Lake Resort Hotel at about between 6pm and 7pm Friday evening to ignore them and whatever, discussion concerning IPOB they had with them, because it does not represent our views or demands as IPOB members' they said.
IPOB said 'it is only All Progressive Congress, APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, whom they have been working for against IPOB that recognize them, we never ask anybody called Ohanaeze Youth leader to represent IPOB, he is not our member and cannot speak for us in anything or meeting'.
Those claiming they are speaking for or know the mind of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are on drugs, because if they know him and his love for Biafra freedom, they won't make such a statement.
'Nobody negotiates for IPOB or for the release of our leader, more so, when we learnt that they told the United States officials that what will be done and IPO members and they will stop agitation is repairing of south East roads, that is not what We in IPOB want, what we want is unconditional release of Mr. Kanu and actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra,' they said. - Vanguard.