IPOB insists, Southeast schools must sing Biafran anthem

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday said it would soon release the Biafra national anthem to be sung in all schools in the Southeast.

It said every school would soon receive copies of the anthem.

The group insisted that the Biafra Republic, which it is agitating for, was coming and nothing would stop it.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB reiterated that all schools in the region must commence singing the anthem.

The group warned that any school disobeying the order would regret their actions.

IPOB insisted on the unconditional release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

It directed members to get ready to show solidarity with Kanu in his next court appearance on January 18, 19 and 20, 2022.

The group also directed those in the animal husbandry business to immediately switch over to the native cow following the ban on Fulani cows in the zone with effect from April 2022.

The statement reads in part: “We wish to commend Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of Biafra freedom for their resilience and efforts towards the actualisation of Biafra independence. We happily welcome all into 2022. We assure our people that the struggle will record more tremendous successes more than the previous years.

“Our achievement in the struggle for Biafra restoration will marvel many traitors because IPOB will soon showcase our achievements so far. We have accomplished so much since this fight for our freedom started, and we give the credit to the Almighty God in heaven who has ordained the restoration of Biafra.

“We want to declare that Nigeria Government and its security agencies will have no peace of mind unless they release our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally because our God will torment them.

“Kanu is on a divine project and nobody will hold him and have peace of mind.The leadership of IPOB headed by Mazi Chika Edoziem has given an order for all IPOB family across the world to activate the protest to show our anger towards the illegal abduction and extraordinary rendition of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria.

“To this end, we want to inform all Biafrans to get ready to solidarise with our leader as usual, in his next court appearance scheduled for January 18, 19 and 20. Fulani cows are banned in Biafraland starting from April 2022. Those in the animal husbandry business must switch over to our native cow without delay.

“Again, concerning stop reading Nigeria national anthem in our schools, we want every school to start reading Biafra national anthem and soon every school is going to receive a copy of Biafra national anthem because Biafra is coming and nothing will stop it.

“The 30th of May every year will be celebrating independence anniversary and nothing will stop that, Biafrans must oblige to this order for our freedom. Any school found wanting or disobeying this order will regret their actions.

“Our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released. Nigeria cannot be releasing bandits and terrorists but keep freedom-seekers behind bars perpetually; it’s an error! We are also warning traitors to stay off our territory because it won’t be easy for them this time because 2022 will be hunt down year for them,” the statement said.

IPOB is a proscribed organisation by the Federal Government and the highest Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has emphasised that IPOB does not speak for the Southeast or the Igbo.

IPOB leader Kanu is on trial over treasonable felony charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Security agencies have accused IPOB and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) of being behind most of the acts of violence and destruction in the Southeast.

But the group insists on being non-violent despite always issuing threats, such as “any school found wanting or disobeying this order will regret their actions”.

Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was brought back to the country.

IPOB claimed Kanu was a victim of extraordinary rendition.

The charges against Kanu read in part: “Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwidiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi and Kanu, in 2014 and 2015, in Nigeria and London, conspired to broadcast on Radio Biafra their plan to secede from Nigeria and form the Republic of Biafra, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C77 of 2004.

“Kanu illegally smuggled radio transmitters into Nigeria, which he used to disseminate “hate broadcasts”, encouraging the “secession of the Republic of Biafra”, from Nigeria.

“Kanu imported a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L, which was concealed in a container that was declared as used household items, to use same to disseminate information about secession plans by the IPOB.

“Kanu, “on or about the 28th April, 2015 in London, United Kingdom did in a broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu state and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, referred to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a pedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil, knowing same to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“The defendants committed treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. The defendants managed the affairs of the IPOB, “an unlawful society,” the charge said.

IPOB seeks an independent state of Biafra.

(The Nation)