There are claims by Biafran Independence Movement (BIM), that the Biafra course has gained the attention of the United Nations (UN), hence limiting the possibility for the federal government to stop the actualization of sovereign state of Biafra.
Mr Emmanuel Omenka, a leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (massob) made the remark while addressing newsmen in Onitsha on Monday, December 7. He said “the God we serve will still help us to actualize a Biafra State without splitting blood, we are BIM now and we are more determined than ever to actualize Biafra without violence.
Omenka noted that the international recognition which Biafra is currently getting, shows that the dream of freedom will be actualised and the Nigerian government can do nothing about it. The spokesman who is served as personal assistant to former leader of MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, highlighted certain contentious issues brewing within the group.
He condemned the recent protests by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Uchenna Madu-led MASSOB, in Onitsha. Stressing that MASSOB under the leadership of Madu is a violent group, perpetuating mayhem in the southeast and southsouth regions.
Addressing pressmen alongside the Anambra central administrator of BIM, Vincent Iloh, Omenka said: “Uchenna was expelled from MASSOB in 2014 because of anti MASSOB activity, when you don’t follow the organogram of the organization, we expel you so, they were expelled for not following the organogram”.
“Madu and his cohorts are being sponsored by politicians to blackmail the then Uwazurike led MASSOB, but we don’t blackmail, we remain non violence in action and words, those politicians who said that Biafra died in 1970 are cowards because Biafra still exists,” the BIM spokesman said.
Ilo on his part said: “Those politicians that are sponsoring Madu and cohorts will never succeed because Uwazuruike remains the only Igbo man that stakes his life for the course of the Igbo nation”. Adding: “He is the leader we know in Igboland and who will take us to the promise land not minding the intimidation, blackmail and arrest by the Federal Government security forces against our members.”
Meanwhile, the Madu-led faction of MASSOB has said that by choosing to change the group’s name before his removal, Uwazurike was tactically looking for a way to withdraw from the struggle for the actualization of Biafra. Madu stressed that the former leader has been compromised, hence labeling him a traitor of the course.
Samuel Edeson, spokesman for MASSOB, said that Uwazurike has been know for his inconsistency and selling out when the chips are down. The spokesman said that Uwazurike proved them right in removing him as MASSOB leader before he announced his new group. He noted that the pro-Biafra group is happy that the traitor has been removed, stressing that it was good riddance for the bad nonsense he planted into the group.