IPOB Bashes Osinbajo Over Claim Biafra Agitation Is Illegal

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has expressed disappointment over Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo claims that secession is against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In a statement by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, sent to ORIENTAL TIMES, the group challenged Osinbajo to point out the offence IPOB has committed since the inception of its activities.

IPOB also urged the Nigerian government to follow due process and set out a date for referendum.

The full statement reads:

“We the members of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu condemn unequivocally the distasteful statement credited to the acting president of Nigeria professor Yemi Osibanjo that the Biafra agitators who were seeking for the self determination of the people of Biafra committed offence and violated the Nigeria constitution in his own assertion.

“It is very shameful that a professor in law cannot ascertain the Nigeria constitution and the meaning of self determination in international law. The acting president professor Yemi Osibanjo in his speech warned that Biafra agitators will risk jail if they continue asking for freedom. We are challenging him to show the whole world where IPOB committed offence since the inception and he should understand that we are ready to go to prison he should build more prison yards, we cannot stop until the Nigeria government us a date for our referendum.

“The acting president professor Yemi Osibanjo should have consulted those who know the law to advice him before coming on air to make such comments. The Nigeria constitution is cannot supersede the United Nations charter on the rights to the indigenous people people across and African charter which was ratified and signed by Nigeria and still on it till today.

“We are warning those saboteurs and uneducated individuals in Nigeria that they should stop the insinuation that Biafra agitation is all about war, we are not asking for war rather what we are asking is self determination and the only way to achieve it is through the only recognized by the international law which is referendum the only way our people can decide if they want to remain in Nigeria or not.

“Beside, the amalgamation documents of Nigeria on January 1st 1914 has expired on 31st December 2013 and in that documents by Frederick Luguard and cohorts they stated that the marriage among the ethnic nationalities in the contraption called Nigeria today will last for 100 years and then if they want to remain as one country they will come together and decide if how to move forward.

“Therefore, we want date for referendum which is the only civilized way in the world today. The people of Biafra want to decide for themselves where to belong through it, you cannot force our people to remain in Nigeria without a plebiscite.”