By Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi
For Family Writers Press
The atmosphere in Aba, Abia state is calm and welcoming. It is like it prepared itself for the events of the day as IPOB members in their numbers matched the streets of Aba in remembrance of Biafrans shot and killed by the Nigerian military on 20th January last year 2017, as they were celebrating President Trump’s victory as the 45th President of the United States of America. Biafrans on that day in Port Harcourt city (Igweocha) in Rivers state matched out with Biafra flags, Isreali and USA flags in solidarity with President Trump where they were shot and murdered by the Nigerian military.
Recall that at the same time and season, there were also anti-Trump protest going on in Northern Nigeria and some parts of Lagos state, a group of notable Muslims rose up in protest against President Trump’s victory as the President of USA, but Nigerian government looked the other way and those that protested against Trump were protected with military escort. They never shot at them nor dispatched them but were guarded against hudlooms that might infiltrate them and caused havoc. Police men were also seen guiding them and blowing their siren. But the story was different in Port Harcourt city where the Trump victory rally took place. There were rivers of blood in Rivers state, where the blood of Biafrans flowed again.
This injustice has been going on since Nigeria got her independence in 1960. This is exactly why they invaded Biafra in 1966, in what is today called Biafra/Nigeria civil war. A war that saw Nigeria, with the help of some Western powers like Britain and Russia not to observe rules of engagement, in other to force Biafrans to surrender as they bombed hospitals, schools and market places. They blocked Biafran territories and with it starved millions of children to death. At the end of the war, about 3million Biafrans died, with great devastation in infrastructure and the economy.
The reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation which the government ordered was rather taken to Western and Northern Nigeria where war never took place and Biafrans were left to lick their wounds in agony.
Fast forward to this day,
Out of nothing, Biafrans have rebuild their home amidst government economic blockade. The Federal government of Nigeria has made sure South East and South South remained without good road network, no functioning international airport and seaports, no railways and many more. That is in a time Nigerian government has commissioned a dry port in Kaduna state, Northern Nigeria.
The injustice and marginalization Biafrans suffer in Nigeria is simply indescribable. President Buhari has made sure all security heads in Army, Air force, EFCC and Police are from Fulani Muslim up North. Agencies like Custom service, Immigration And Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission ( INEC) are also headed by his Fulani or fellow Muslim North.
This is the reasons Biafrans are demanding for referendum as to determine their future. This is the reason Nigerian government have been extra judicially killing Biafrans with reckless abandon. More than 500 Biafrans have been murdered since three years of Buhari’s presidency.
Today, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) trouped out en-mass on the streets of Aba to remember those cut down in their prime by the murderous Nigeria military. They matched in a time some people were thinking that IPOB have been destroyed by the Nigerian government, when they sent their ill-fated and ill-conceived “Operation Python Dance II” on IPOB members. A murderous operation that saw many IPOB members killed and their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Kidnapped till date.
For how long will Nigeria continue to murder people for exercising their God given rights? Is rights for self determination no more internationally recognized as a human rights? When will the world stand to defend the creed they all believed in?
Just like the noble Laurette Wole Shoinka rightly said “Biafra is undefeatable”.
Edited by Ebere Okolie
For Family Writers Press
