The Biafran Indigenous Peoples have announced that they are prepared to negotiate with the federal government in order to leave Nigeria peacefully via a referendum overseen by the United Nations.
Since 2012, the pro-Biafran group claims it has been peacefully advocating for Biafra independence from the federal government, but the federal government has been violently cracking down on its members.
This was announced today in a press release written by the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful.
According to Strong, the extreme use of force by Nigerian security forces has cost IPOB over 5,000 lives and over $1 billion in property.
“We the global family and movement of IPOB wish to reiterate once again that IPOB remains peaceful and open for negotiations and dialogue on peaceful exit of Biafra from Nigeria through a UN supervised Referendum,” the statement reads.
In 2012, IPOB began their peaceful campaign to gain independence for Biafra. Through all of our marches and protests over the years, IPOB has never been linked to criminal activity or violence. However, the Federal Government has declared war on IPOB through its security forces. The Nigerian government’s security forces have violently repressed our members at numerous protests across Biafra Land.
Many members of IPOB have been brutally killed, others have been permanently disabled, others have been kidnapped by security forces, and others are still being held illegally in prisons across Nigeria as a result of these unprovoked attacks.
Homes and businesses belonging to IPOB supporters have been destroyed by the Nigerian government. As a direct result of the excessive use of force by the Nigeria Security Forces, IPOB has lost over 5,000 members and over $1 billion in property. Despite all the attacks and threats, IPOB has never responded in kind or armed itself against the Nigerian government.
Peace is what IPOB is all about. Our stance is one of support for open communication and debate. IPOB’s founding principle is to facilitate Biafra’s peaceful secession from Nigeria. Separate and distinct from Nigeria is the Republic of Biafra.
The events that have taken place between 1948 and 2023 have made it abundantly clear that Biafra and Nigeria cannot exist together as a single nation. Peaceful calls from IPOB to the Nigerian government about scheduling a referendum have repeatedly been met with violent repression from the Nigerian government.
We have never wavered from the position that the right to self-determination is guaranteed by international law.
Group members reaffirmed their dedication to a peaceful, legally compliant, and mutually agreed upon path to self-determination.
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