Members and supporters of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra shut down Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, demanding to break away from Nigeria on Tuesday.
Waving the Biafran flag as they marched through major roads in Port Harcourt, both MASSOB members and their supporters chanted war songs as they also demanded the unconditional release of one of their members, Mr. Nnamdi Kalu, said to have been arrested by the police in Lagos.
Though, the MASSOB members were tear-gassed by men of the Nigeria Police, the action did not deter them from marching through Ikoku, Ikwerre and the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The policemen later stopped firing teargas at the protesters and decided to watch the protest march by over 3,000 youths.
The protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as, ‘A state of Biafra is non-negotiable,’ ‘On Biafra, we stand,’ ‘It is do or die,’ ‘We need our freedom peacefully,’ and ‘Release Nnamdi Kalu now.’
The peaceful demonstration caused a gridlock along Ikwerre road as a result of the huge number of persons involved in the protest, even as men of the Joint Military Task Force watched as the youths chanted freedom songs.
It was observed that some police operatives decided to shoot into the air to scare away the protesters when they (police) noticed that some of the protesters had stormed the premises of a new generation bank on Ikwerre road and pulled down a Nigerian flag.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Okechukwu, told our correspondent that he had decided to sacrifice his life for the struggle to actualise Biafra as a country.
According to Okechukwu, who is a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, “I will not stop being part of this struggle to actualise the sovereign state of Biafra. I am ready to sacrifice my life for this struggle so that my children will enjoy the freedom that will come from it.”
Bille Kingdom: JAMKAB Criticises Oppression, Exploitation Of their Resources
The people of Jika ethnic nationalities have criticized in strong terms the oppression and exploitation of their resources by dominant regions in Nigerian society.
This was contained in 13 point communiqué issued by the Jika ethnic nationalities on the occasion of its 2015 convocation at Bille kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Nigeria.
The JAMKAB, the organizers is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated for peace and empowerment said that it stands to promote political, economic, educational and social development.
The communiqué which was jointly signed by Hon Isa Hashimu Salihu, Chairman Management Committee Kanam LGA, Plateau State, Chief Dr. James Ayuba Sabo, General, Secretary, Jika, Chief I.D Minapakama, Vice Chairman, Bille Kingdom Chiefs’ Council and four (4) others commended government’s efforts and the costly sacrifices of the armed forces in fighting terrorism. It further urged all Jika nationals to key into the public private partnership.
Earlier in his speech the President JAMKA, Comrade Butswat G. Manasseh Kunwur maintained that the mission of the group is to stand up for the unity and the solidary of the people of Jika nationalities.
According to him, the JAMKAB Peace and Empowerment Initiative is non-profit making organization established for formidable policies and design programmes to promote general activities among the people.
He, however, highlighted some of the achievements of the JAMKA which include: provision of employments, opportunities, renovation of primary school in Banram community, Bogoro LGA in Bauchi State amongst others.
In his speech the secretary of the Bille Council of Chiefs, Chief Ibiba I. Kombonimi (Opukurowi II) stressed the importance of brotherliness and expressed hope that identification of their cultural affinity will save life, secure an opportunity or encourage a flagging effort to rise to a challenge moment, expressed hope that “we shall by that means secure the peace, unity and solidarity we desire in Nigeria”.###
