Biafra: You can’t defeat Nigeria in war – Uwazuruike tells Ndigbo

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused the founder of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Raphael Uwazuruike, of selling out the future of unborn Nd’Igbos/Biafrans to their oppressors.

Emma Powerful, the media and publicity secretary of IPOB, in a statement released on Wednesday.

Powerful said this in reaction to Uwazuruike’s claims on Tuesday that he invited the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, into the Biafra struggle, and that he should hand over the Eastern Security Network to the South-East governors to manage.

Uwazuruike, who is also the leader of the Biafra Independent Movement, said at a press conference in Owerri, the Imo state capital: “If Nnamdi Kanu repents tomorrow, I will commend him. We will talk about Biafra even if Igbo man becomes president. Governors should take ESN from Kanu. Train them, equip them and use them better.

Uwazuruike said: “I am congratulating Governor (Nyesom) Wike of Rivers State for rescuing the situation in Obigbo. I am also congratulating Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State for his approach in handling the situation in Orlu.

“I am not part of the Nigerian system but when anybody does well, I will commend, and if anybody does bad, I will also talk.

“I started this struggle over 20 years ago. I recruited everybody who is part of this struggle today. We started before politics came in. Politicians started sponsoring people among us and we started having divisions among us. Taking up arms against the government is now a problem for Ndigbo and Nigeria.

“They can’t defeat Nigeria. This situation needs to be nipped in the bud. Some governors have tried; Wike has tried. We must not allow anarchy to prevail. I congratulate Uzodinma on his approach to the problem in Orlu.

“We must work hard not to allow this group to turn this place into a state of war. Don’t denigrate governors, stop insulting Ohanaeze Ndigbo. So many people are killed without records.

Reacting to the statement, IPOB spokesman accused the MASSOB of of trying to escape poverty and live in opulence at the cost of the blood of Biafrans.

The statement reads, “The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been drawn to the shameful statement credited to the hotelier and hostel builder in our society who has been parading himself as the leader of a shameless and disgraceful group called MASSOB/BIM, Chief Ralpheal Elebeanya Uwazuruike, that God-ordained Eastern Security Network, ESN, security outfit established by our liberator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, should be handed over to his co-traitors like South-East Governors to manage.

“How on earth did the hotelier Uwazuruike think that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should hand over the heavenly ordained ESN to the slaves installed by the Caliphate in different Government Houses in Biafraland? His intention of making such a stupid suggestion is to turn ESN into another Eastern region version of the heavily politicised and now toothless security outfit formed in other regions. IPOB cannot fall for their trap!

“Uwazuruike is not ashamed of himself by trying to use ESN to cover his atrocities in Biafraland. Uwazuruike was the man who boasted that he had more boys than Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, (and) that should he unleash his boys, no place would contain them.”

The statement further reads that Uwazuruike should create his own security apparatus and ask the South-East and South-South governors to manage it.

“We, therefore, challenge Uwazuruike to form his own security outfit and hand it over to the South-East and South-South governors. IPOB and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, are capable of managing ESN to pursue its mandate.

“Uwazuruike thought that IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are like him that shamelessly sold the future of our unborn generations to the same oppressors he claims to be fighting against just because all he wanted in life was to escape poverty and live in style and opulence. Sadly, he does so with the blood of Biafrans. This same individual that openly condemned the launch of ESN earlier, is today shamelessly clamouring to be identified with it. How times have changed!

“We IPOB have come with an unshakeable resolve to liberate our people from the Lugardian damnation called Nigeria. The mistake this hotelier and hostel builder and his likes made with our collective future is what IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu are fighting ever so hard to correct today.

“At least, now he knows they can never be like us. Unlike him, IPOB is a noble family of liberators that cannot be bought or sold to the highest bidder. Neither will we allow earthly material considerations to move us to distraction. Our mission is a very simple one: Restore Biafra! Nothing more nothing less!”