A coalition of pro-Biafra groups has cancelled the South East sit-at-home protest during the planned nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance, citing concerns about potential violence from security agencies.
The groups are the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Eastern Peoples Congress (EPC), Billie Human Rights Initiative (BHRI), Biafra Liberation Council (BLC), Biafra Revolutionary Force (BRF), Biafra Revolutionary Organisation (BRO), Biafra Reconciliation (BR) and Union of Biafra Scientists and Engineers (UBSE), said they do not want to give security agencies an excuse to harm protesters.
They also condemned a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, which they described as an attempt to blame Peter Obi and the Igbo people for the protest.
The coalition emphasised their commitment to non-violent methods and self-determination, and called on the government to address economic issues rather than making accusations.
The statement reads, “President (Bola) Tinubu inflicted much hunger on citizens of Nigeria. The citizens are protesting, why blaming and accusing Mr Peter Obi and Ndigbo?
“Onanuga and his allies should know that an attempt of dent on Peter Obi is a serious provocation of spirits of our ancestors and all the progressives that occupy this surface earth.
“Onanuga should be reminded of the Igbo adage that says ‘onye apkala nwa agu aka n’ odu, ma odi ndu ma onwuru- anwu’, which means ‘no one should touch the tiger’s tail, whether alive or dead’.
“Onanuga should not add more salt to the nation’s injurious state by reminding Nigerians what they lost in Peter Obi as an American adage says ‘you don’t know the value of what you have until you lose it’.
“We are aware of the damaging tendencies orchestrated by Onanuga and his allies on Peter Obi and hereby state as follows: That to avoid the genocidal plot of federal government that will result in massive killings of Biafrans involving in the coming nationwide protest, COPROBIG declared that there will be no sit-at-home in Biafra land during the weeklong national protest.
“That the cancellation of any public pro-Biafra activities will not give Nigerian security agencies the opportunity to kill the people of Biafra.
“That the planed weeklong national protest is a subtle plot to lure the youths of Ndigbo to their early graves.
“That the people of Biafra should go about their normal businesses of the day.”
The statement was signed by Comrade Uchenna Madu for MASSOB, Mazi Okechukwu Orji for EPC, Mr Innocent Amadi for BHRI, Comrade Festus Obiorah for BLC, Comrade Bidwell Ogbonna for BRF, Rev Chioma Ajah for BRO, Elder Anya Kalu for BR, and Mr J Okasi for UBSE.
