The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has decried what it perceives as the unfair treatment of the Igbo people in Nigeria, asserting that the solution to the issue is the creation of a sovereign state.
According to IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, recent events demonstrate that Igbos are not welcomed in Nigeria, as security agents allegedly attacked members of the group during a peaceful protest in Aba, Abia State.
In a statement released on Sunday, Powerful expressed surprise that the security agencies allowed the Islamic Shi’ites to protest peacefully twice in Abuja without any molestation, but unleashed violence on IPOB members who were also engaging in peaceful protest in Aba.
The demonstration was aimed at demanding the unconditional release of the group’s leader, Kanu, who is currently in detention.
“It is now on record that Ndigbo is not wanted in Nigeria due to the hatred shown to us,” Powerful lamented in the statement. He further stated that the Igbo people must organize themselves immediately and exit Nigeria for other nationalities who are allowed to operate freely in the country.
The call for a sovereign state of Biafra is not new. It dates back to the late 1960s when the region attempted to secede from Nigeria, leading to a brutal civil war that claimed the lives of over a million people.
While the Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected the idea of an independent Biafra, the issue continues to linger and has become a source of tension in the country.