Anxiety In South East As Biafra Agitators Begin Hijacking Igbo Leadership, Plan Mother Of All Protest For December

There is a growing anxiety in the South East, and it centres around the activities of Biafra agitators.

Unveiling the heightening fear in the zone, the nation reports that ‘In the manner that a gentle breeze snowballs into whirlwind, the agitation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), which began as an innocuous event, appears to have assumed a disturbing dimension. In
Biafra Protesters

the last one week, the agitators have staged series of protests across the region and parts of Delta State, paralysing commercial activities in the process.

Findings showed that the development has caused anxiety among the people who now fear that the agitation may compound kidnapping, armed robbery and other anti-social activities that have bedevilled the region over the years, and metamorphose into acts of terrorism if it is not nipped in the bud quickly.

A worried respondent said: “In the past one week that the agitators started the protests, we have been living with the fear that the region may come under a new regime of insecurity.

“If care is not taken, this may transform into another form of terrorism that would compound the challenges of kidnapping and armed robbery in our area.

“Something urgent should be done to spare us and our land of acts that are capable of causing bloodshed.”

The fear of the agitators appears to have become the beginning of wisdom for some of the leaders in the zone as they declined to comment on the issue for fear that they might incur the wrath of the agitators. It was learnt that in some areas, the groups have started disregarding existing Igbo leadership and have begun to project themselves as the new leaders of the South East.

An Igbo leader, who did not want his name in print, said: “It is risky to openly speak about the group. If you say anything that is against their agitation, they will take you as an enemy, and the truth is that there is nothing positive about what they are doing. They are opportunists and relevance- seeking people who are misleading unsuspecting youths to take to an unworthy cause.

“If there is a need for such agitation, it would not be championed by rudderless and misguided set of human beings; it would be the collective decision of the entire zone. But as we speak, there is no need for such agitation. They are very unruly and power drunk.

“It is disturbing that some of them have no regard for existing leadership in the land and have started seeing themselves as the leaders that the people should reckon with. That is actually their mission, but it would not work.”

It was gathered that the anxiety of the people is fuelled by the aggressive manner the agitators have been “brainwashing” young people to join the movement. Checks revealed that the recruitment is strategically designed to get members across the country.

Ikedigwe Raphael, an IPOB coordinator in Lagos State, confirmed this in a chat with The Nation.

He said: “IPOB is divided into groups A and B. Group A comprises Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia, Imo, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River, while group B comprises Anambra, Enugu, Delta and Ebonyi. We regard any other state, region or zone not captured in the aforementioned groups in the country as a zoo.

“The protests will continue until the director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is released. Benjamin Onwuka of Biafran Zion Movement (BZM) and others currently arrested should also be released.”

He berated the acclaimed leader of (MASSOB), Chief Raph Uwazurulike, for allegedly misleading and selling out Ndigbo in the pursuit of the Biafran agenda, describing him as a businessman.

The Nation investigation revealed that a number of Igbo traders and commercial motorcycle operators have already been recruited in Lagos.

A commercial motorcycle operator who spoke with our correspondent relished his membership of the group, singing various songs he said they were taught during a training conducted by the leaders of the agitators. “The high point of the protest will occur in December when we will travel home en masse to hold a mass protest. The arrangement is concluded and all we are waiting for is the right time to strike.”

Two leading members of IPOB in Anambra State, Osita Amaechina and Obinna Remigus Ani, said their interest was to actualise Biafra like Southern Sudan, Eritrea and others, adding that it was the reason why they were non-violent.

MASSOB, in a statement it issued in Awka, said there was no meeting, dialogue or discussion with South East governors and the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze, without IPOB and MASSOB, asserting that they are the new Igbo leaders.

However, in a statement, the factional Director of Information (MASSOB), Uchenna Madu, said: “We support the meeting of the South East governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo with leaders of pro-Biafra groups to douse the political tension in the land.

“The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, non-compliance with demands and non-violence demonstration will continue to hunt, frustrate and diminish Nigeria’s image before the international community,” Madu said’