•Says Biafra non-negotiable
From Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Human and vehicular movements were yesterday paralyzed in many parts of Ebonyi State including the state capital, Abakaliki, for several hours following unscheduled visit of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
More than 100,000 supporters of IPOB converged on the border town between Ebonyi and Enugu where they led him into the state. Kanu, who came in convoy of more than 50 vehicles, made brief stops at strategic junctions to acknowledge cheers from the mammoth crowd. It was gathered that members of IPOB who got tip of the visit, mobilised others to give Kanu a heroic reception.
Speaking to his supporters at Ezzamgbo Junction, which is about 10 kilometres away from Abakaliki, Kanu vowed that he would not renege in his resolve and struggle for the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra.
While urging IPOB faithful to keep up the spirit of the struggle, he said no one will stop Biafra and urged Biafra agitators to continue until victory was achieved.
From Ezzamgbo, Kanu who was dressed in Jewish attire proceeded to Abakaliki with some clerics where another set of crowd, numbering more than 20,000 joined the long procession. Detachments of security operatives from various outfits who came to monitor the situation were helpless as they were overwhelmed by the unprecedented crowd.
Residents of Abakaliki were seen struggling to catch a glimpse of Kanu, thereby disrupting vehicular movement along the busy Ogoja Road and other adjoining roads within the state.
Kanu moved round the capital in long convoy for two hours from Ezzamgbo
to Presco Junction to Ezza Road, Government House, Ogoja Road, Vanco
Junction and stopped at Mechanic Village, where he addressed yet another mammoth crowd.
The IPOB leader urged those fighting against Biafra to stop harassing Biafra agitators and supporters. He said it was wicked for security operatives to continue to harass non-violent freedom seekers.
He vowed he will never be cowed into surrendering the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra; insisting that Biafra agitation remained non-negotiable.
“Nobody can stop Biafra because Biafra has come to stay. I will traverse all parts of Biafra land and other areas without harassment.
“I will continue to walk in the midst of these security agents as you can see and nobody will arrest me. They know they can’t stop Biafra. I have come to declare Ebonyi a Biafra state and when next I come, I will shutdown the state for three days,” he said.
Kanu, who urged his supporters to keep the spirit alive, assured them that what they were doing was beyond human strength.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier at the party’s secretariat warned that even as they were not averse to genuine agitation, the state was opposed to protests that could generate violence in the area.
The party chairman, Chief Onyekachi Nweboyi and the Youth Leader, Sam Igwe, in separate press briefings said the youths in the state should avoid being lured into breach of the law.