Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, has declared that, “Biafra is older than Nigeria.”
The group said this yesterday in reaction to the position of the Nigerian government that Biafra is not a region in Nigeria and that there are no States known as Biafra States in Nigeria under the 1999 constitution.
BNYL leader, Princewill Obuka, in a statement, mocked FG for saying Biafra is not a region in Nigeria. He said “but a region in west coast of Africa annexed by Nigeria”.
Obuka faulted government insisting that the areas where the struggle is being felt are “Biafran States”.
“They are right by saying Biafra is not a region in Nigeria, yes Biafra was the largest region in west coast of Africa, nothing called Nigeria existed then.
“So if they said we are not a region in Nigeria, they are right. It clearly means that the areas demanding for independence were annexed by colonial lords under the authority of the British consuls in the neighboring Bight of Benin.
“We are a nation that lost our sovereignty and recognitions to Nigeria after first attempt 1967 to free ourselves from the forceful marriage.
“Biafra is older than Nigeria, in fact we are not a region and we refuse to be a region in Nigeria, all we want from them is to respect the UN declarations which favors us”.
The BNYL leader also stated that Biafra is beyond Nigeria court but a global issue.
“Just as Nigeria is questioning Biafra existence, the world will question Nigeria, it’s a matter of time”.
Obuka added that the proscription of IPOB and tagging of the group as terrorists by the government was meaningless, adding that it is the duty of the UN and AU to label any group terrorist.
“Before proscription of IPOB, many protesters have been killed, many, so does it mean they were not terrorists at the initial yet people get killed anyhow?
“What will they do now that they have not done before the proscription.
“America has made them to come to understanding that they have no constitution”.
He further cautioned government against continued harassment, arrest and intimidation of their supporters by security agencies, warning that the agitators are determined.
