Anambra election: IPOB threatens stay-at-home order from November 5

The November 6 governorship election in Anambra State now faces challenges as the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), has threatened a week-long stay-at-home order if their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was not released unconditionally. According to IPOB’s Spokesman, Emma Powerful, the body called for unconditional release of Kanu on November 4, otherwise they would order a stay-at-home strike in the South-East from November 5, ahead of the Anambra election scheduled for the next day.

In a press statement signed by Powerful, the group said, “following the adjournment of the case of our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to November 10, 2021, by the Federal High Court Abuja, we, the great movement and family of the IPOB, wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafra land from November 5 to 10, except Sunday, November 7, a day our people worship the Almighty God, Chukwu Okike Abiama, if the Nigerian government fails to release our leader unconditionally before November 4, 2021. “Our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021 because he has not committed any offence known to any law.

Failure to release our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on or before November 4, 2021, our one-week sit-at-home strike begins on November 5, 2021 till November 10,” the statement said. The group said that although it quite understood the pains and adverse effects of this option on the South- East people, it was compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans.

“We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our Leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the Federal Government is not sincere and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in DSS custody to rot there.

“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people who came from all around the world to witness his court case were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness? “We cannot accept that anymore. We can never allow our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to be tried secretly and we can never also allow him to be tried under Sharia law under any guise.

Nigeria must follow international laws in handling our leader. “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in the DSS dungeon today because of his passion for Biafra independence, and we must sacrifice all we can to ensure that he regains his freedom. He has sacrificed so much for us all. So, we must be prepared to sacrifice little for him,” the statement said.

It further warned that unless the Federal Government released him unconditionally before November 4, the group shall sacrifice one week for him as a warning protest to convey to “our oppressors that Nnamdi Kanu represents over 70 million Biafrans. He is innocent of all the charges preferred against him. As long as he is in detention, our individual businesses do not matter so much because he is suffering for us all and we can’t abandon him.” The group expressed, “seriously regret over the inconveniences this may cause their people but described the action as “a necessary sacrifice” it needs to make until they have their full independence, warning that nobody resident in Biafra land is expected to flout this directive as doing so amounts to challenging the will of the people on the Biafra project.

“This one week sit-athome strike is also to let our oppressors understand that we are not going to tolerate any plan to torment or abandon our leader in DSS custody through frivolous court adjournments. Any plans to subject him to trauma in detention through long adjournments while real terrorists and mass murderers are having fun across the country cannot fly.

“Nnamdi Kanu must be freed because he committed no crime. Asking for referendum so that Biafrans will decide whether or not they want to continue as part of Nigeria is no crime! He should not suffer for seeking justice for his people.

“We have been enslaved and caged enough by the Fulani controlled Federal Government of Nigeria and its allies. If we shut down Biafra land just for one week to secure our permanent freedom, it is worth the sacrifice. Everybody should brace up for this sacrifice. This is the time all Biafrans must remain united. Let’s not give the oppressors and their agents any room to create division in our mist,” the statement said.