Not Again: Gorilla Allegedly Swallows N7m In Kano Zoo

A local radio station in the state, Freedom Radio had reported on Thursday that one of the finance officers it spoke with had said that one huge Gorilla sneaked into their office and carried the money and ran away, where it went and allegedly swallowed the close to seven million naira.

Also, when asked, the Managing Director of the zoo, Kashekobo, confirmed the development to the BBC Pidgin but, however, said that he had nothing more to say about it other than that the matter was under investigation. According to him, ” the issue is under investigations for now and I don’t want to say anything concerning the matter. Many journalists have met me on the issue but I don’t want to say anything. All I can say is that the money got missing".

Also, confirming the report, the Police spokesperson in the state, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, said the matter was under investigation. According to him, ” Yes it is true that money got missing from the Kano Zoo. It is money they realised for five days of Sallah festivities. As at now, we have arrested 10 staff members of the Zoo and they are in police CID.” “Among the people we arrested are the gatemen and the people in the finance unit. What we want to understand is why they left such huge amount of money for five days without taking it to the bank,” the police spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Recall that in February 2018, one Philomina Chieshe, a sales clerk with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Benue state, had claimed that a huge snake swallowed N36m, which the board made from sale of scratch card.

UN General Assembly 2019: Awaiting Diplomatic Fireworks Between Mazi Nnamdi Kanu And Prof. Tijani Bande

By Onyebuchi Eze 
Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press International

The effect of Biafra Independence agitation meticulously championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Worldwide, ably led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has persistently continued to take it's toll on the Nigerian government. The unprecedented invitation by the United Nations General Assembly to the IPOB leader to feature in it's upcoming summit in the month of September 2019, is exceptionally being awaited as the date closes in. Sequel to the visitation of the IPOB diplomatic contingent led by the IPOB deputy leader, Mazi Uche Mefor to the world body's Headquarters situated in Geneva, Switzerland last year, the IPOB leader will be mounting the podium to brief the global community on issues pertaining to the Biafra agitation. Recall that Mazi Uche Mefor led Biafra diplomatic contingent's visit last year to the United Nations was premised on the series of disgusting human rights abuses being meted on the Biafran people by the Nigerian armed forces. These were carried out on direct/firm instructions of the Nigerian Islamic government coupled with other relative concerns bothering on the need for Biafra referendum. In an interview with an anonymous Igbo Biafran senior civil servant working in the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is this revelation that there presently exists serious tension at the country's seat of power since the adoption of the resolution by the world body that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be appearing in the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly slated for September this year, 2019. He further stated that the invitation of the IPOB leader was what prompted the Nigerian government's wastage of billions of United States dollars in trying to lobby some dignitaries globally. This was the reason behind the unopposed election of Professor Tijani Mohammed Bande, Nigeria's Permanent Representative in the United Nations, as the President of the world body's General Assembly. The anonymous foreign affairs ministry interviewee maintained that the Nigerian government plans to use the presence of the newly elected President to either intimidate or frustrate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu when he will be speaking to the General Assembly.

Considering however, the momentum with which the Biafra agitation is gathering popularity and acceptability in the global circle, the September edition of the General Assembly is most certainly, going to be a ferocious diplomatic battleground between Mazi Nnamdi Kanu representing Biafra and Professor Tijani Bande representing Nigeria. Both Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself, the IPOB Directorate of State (DOS) and the IPOB diplomatic contingent, are all aware of numerous diplomatic persuasions/secret lobbyings being desperately carried out daily by the Nigerian government just to try to frustrate any effort geared towards the Biafra independence. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) globally, will be addressing the global community as the direct victim/target of assassination attempt of 14th September 2017 via a calculated military invasion of the Palace of His Royal Majesty (HRM) Eze Israel Okwu-Kanu by the Nigerian army. In that murderous expedition, twenty eight able bodied, armless IPOB volunteers detailed to   guide the IPOB leader to safety, were killed. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself undoubtedly, will mount the podium to comprehensively tell the world what he suffered during that dastardly genocidal raid in his father's palace and how he managed to escape from the assassination plot. The agitation for Biafra independence which is the primary reason behind the assassination attempt and what is presently needed to be expeditiously done to avert future tragedies occasioned by the cruel responses of the Nigerian government remain exceptionally pivotal.

Recall that late last year, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's location was clearly unknown as he was somewhere receiving medical treatment due to severe of injuries he sustained during the callous military invasion of his residence. His younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu was then given an invitation to Geneva, Switzerland, by the United Nations to attend the Human Rights Summit. He was billed to give detailed account as an eye witness to what really transpired in their family compound on the 14th of September 2017. This was however hampered by the Swiss embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, in criminal connivance with the vampiric/human rights violating government of Nigeria as he was denied entry visa to Switzerland. As Mazi Nnamdi Kanu miraculously re-surfaced to the disappointment and shame of the enemies, he will certainly be going to the United Nations General Assembly to personally give explanation to what happened to him and how he managed to escape the Nigerian government's sponsored assassination attempt on his life. Because of this invitation which will definitely be honored, the Nigerian government is presently unsettled, running helter skelter, desperately and massively inducing global institutions and managing authorities to the extent of wasting tax payers resources, to procure the office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly for Professor Tijani Bande, a Fulani Islamist. This is plotted to enable the him to play the stooge of the presiding officer over the General Assembly to their advantage. But one thing is certainly sure. There will be an exhibition of an unprecedented diplomatic fireworks that the world has never witnessed in history of the global body as the highly intelligent, enlightened, courageous and exceptionally victorious IPOB global leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu engages Professor Tijani Bande in the course of the convention. Our fingers remain crossed as the entire global community awaits another vista in world history. Come quickly, Oh September 2019!

Inauguration Of Biafra Government And It's Relevant Cabinet Before The Upcoming UN Summit, Is A Vital Signpost ~ Say's Diplomat

Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press International

The prevalent heightened ovation of the global community concerning the agitation for Biafra independence is really heartwarming. The momentum being generated via the resilient diplomatic voyage/offensive tours across the globe by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the highly intelligent and courageous leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, suggest a possible inauguration of Biafra government with it's relevant cabinet, prior to the convocation of United Nations General Assembly on September 2019. That will not only provoke diplomatic stampede on Nigeria but also serve as a very vital milepost as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu gracefully honors the United Nations invitation during the upcoming convention. Classified information obtained from a diplomatic stalwart, proves that there exists recipes for diplomatic explorations which the IPOB leadership must have to harness, prior to the visit of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the United Nations. One of such recipes include the inauguration of a government by the secessionist movement even if it turns out to be a government in exile.

According to the diplomat, the formation of the Biafra shadow government will definitely open up a new vista of diplomatic argument around the world regarding the Biafra restoration question prior to the United Nations General Assembly in the forthcoming convention. Another submission which revolves around the visit of the IPOB leader and his contingent to the General Assembly, is the attraction of an unprecedented prestige. This of course will have the IPOB contingent honoring that high profile invitation with the IPOB leader as the Biafran envoy to be seen and recognized for what it truly represents rather than being interpreted/regarded as leaders of a Pro-Biafran group. The diplomat also stated that since Biafrans maintain unflinching loyalty to the present crop of IPOB leadership in all policy designs and implementation, it will be advantageous for the leadership to aptly inaugurate a shadow government. This when formed, policy designs, directions, statements and implementations will start coming from the government even if it is operating from exile, rather than such policies being carried out by what is referred to as leadership of a secessionist group.

Considering the reality of the above analysis, it becomes necessary therefore, for the Biafra shadow government to be unveiled without delay. The urgency attached no matter it's source of origin, is fundamentally to accelerate the Biafra agitation from the realm of legitimacy question to that of the argument of constitutionality of the government, before the global community. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the IPOB leadership to get a shadow government duly inaugurated and which will start running the government of Biafra and issuing government-based policy directions that will always slightly constitute a rebellion against the occupational Nigerian Islamic government. Formation of Biafra government will be one of the greatest achievements in the restoration struggle that has the capacity and capability of raising dust on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly come September 2019. It is a moment, very exceptionally being anticipated.

FG May Lift Land Border Vehicle Importation Ban ~ Customs Boss

The Federal Government may relax the ban on importation of vehicles through the land border.

The government had in January 2017 ordered a ban on importation of vehicles through the land borders.

The restriction on the importation of vehicles followed that of rice, whose imports through the land borders had been banned since April 2016.

But the government may reconsider its decision after the successful implementation of a new initiative by the Nigeria Customs Service and the Customs Service of the Republic of Benin to automate and network all electronic information about incoming cargoes through the border.

The Comptroller General, NCS, Col Hameed Ali (retd.), who was represented by the Assistant Comptroller, Information and Communication Technology, Benjamin Aber, at a stakeholders’ meeting on the new initiative, expressed confidence that with a successful implementation of the bilateral electronic connectivity programme between Nigeria and Republic of Benin, the Federal Government might lift the ban on items coming through the land border.

Ali said the decision of the government to shut down importation of vehicles through the border was because the government did not have a reliable system that would assist in controlling importation.

With declarations made for imports transiting from either of the countries electronically shared, the process of import and export would be done in a transparent manner and the government seeing such transparency would be convinced to relax its stance on land border importation.

He said “Vehicles were formerly being imported through the Seme border, but suddenly it was banned because the pressure of enforcement of anti-smuggling for vehicles and claiming of lives and revenue were becoming too alarming, so the government had to restrict the importation through Nigerian ports.

“When vehicles came through the land border, we did not have a record of how the imported cars came here and fake documentation became a common phenomenon. The ban was just a control measure against the practice".

He added, “By the time we successfully deploy this reliable, transparent and predictable programme that would assist government agencies, not only Customs, to control and regulate the importation of vehicles, the government may decide to relax such restrictions".

Ali said the establishment of the automated platform and bilateral connectivity meant that any truck that left the Republic of Benin, the information would already be remotely sent in English to Nigeria Customs Service system.

He also gave the assurance that illegal checkpoints mounted by Customs officers and other security agencies along the border corridors would disappear automatically.

“The roads also have to be fixed, because we cannot automate clearing of goods between the Customs and at the end, the stakeholders would be complaining,” he pointed out.

He said the new platform would be deployed by June 20, Punch reports.

BIAFRA: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Now Enjoys Full Status Of Biafra Head Of State As He Engages On Diplomatic Shuttles Globally

Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press International

If there really exists something seriously unsettling the Nigerian Islamic government at the moment, it is the irrefutable status of Biafra Head of State which the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) globally, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu presently enjoys.

The Nigerian government and it's ministry of foreign affairs under the supervision of Ambassador Geoffrey Onyeama, has woefully failed to advance any interpretation of the diplomatic cum immigration related logic of the IPOB leader. He now ostensibly enjoys the full status of a Head of State, traveling to diverse distance locations/nations across the globe without requisite international travel documents.

Recall that the Nigerian government via the Abuja division of the Nigerian Federal High Court, presided over by the shamelessly compromised Justice Binta Nyako, confiscated both his Nigerian and British passports amongst other relevant traveling documents. This they did as part of the stringent conditions encoded in the bail of the IPOB leader on the 28th of April 2017. It was accompanied with a judicial pronouncement that if granted bail with his passports, he could possibly escape from the country. Unfortunately however, it is noteworthy to state here that the sole purpose of that confiscation by the government of Nigeria was craftily embedded in It's sinister plot to immigrationally get him incapacitated thereby preparing him as a ready victim meant for the slaughter house via his assassination.

This murderous complicity was orchestrated through a presidential directive and hatched on the 14th of September 2017. The attempt on his life was however botched as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was providentially delivered.

It was after this failed attempt on his life, that necessitated a written requisition by the former Deputy Attorney General of the United States of America, Bruce Fein, to demand that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu be designated as an Internationally Protected Person (IPP). The certified copies of the documents were served to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by this highly intelligent former USA Attorney. Same were also sent to the European Union, probably African Union, other sub-regional and national parliaments the world over. A look at the Maiden Magazine publication of Family Writers Press International released on August 2018, will duly provide you with the aforementioned written evidence of Attorney Bruce Fein for the IPOB leader to be accorded that status by the United Nations Security Council.

Attorney Bruce Fein aptly backed up that requisition with the argument that since Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with thousands of millions of registered family membership, followership and sympathizers, totalling over seventy million globally, he is fully qualified to enjoy the status of a Head of State. Bruce Fein posited that IPOB as a body, has attained the status of collegial body of people whose leader should enjoy the protection of the United Nations Security Council as an IPP. But whether this was eventually granted to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or not, it cannot be explicitly explained because such has never attracted the attention of global news reportage unless it is a development that is usually carried out unpublicized.

What therefore is worthy of note is that his re-emergence in Israel on the 19th of October 2018, took place approximately thirteen months after the murderous Nigerian military expedition in his residence at Afara-ukwu Ibeku in Umuahia, Abia State of Biafraland. The federal government drafted Nigeria armed forces (army, air force and police) to carry out this heinous crime against an armless/peaceful man and eversince that botched expedition, he has been traveling to/fro different nations of the world, making steady, progressive, damning diplomatic requisitions and resiliently lobbying for support in favor of Biafra independence. All these have so far recorded collosal successes devoid of immigrational restrictions or international security hiccups.

Moreover, the type of tumultuous welcome/ovation being always accorded him in the countries (nations) so far visited by resident Biafrans, is unprecedented compared to the visit of Heads of States outside their homelands. Examples of such surging crowds of Biafrans welcoming the IPOB leader to venues of his reception are: United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, United States of America and Canada. All these visits were embarked from his present base in Israel.

Biafra people will as well, be appreciative of the international community and probably the United Nations Security Council for courageously defending human rights and the international law on self-determination by undeniably standing by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as he tours the world, unreservedly soliciting support for the independence of Biafra.

BIAFRA: THE NEED FOR PRO-BIAFRA GROUPS TO COME TOGETHER AND FORGE A COMMON FRONT

By Chukwuemeka Chimerue,
Independent journalist, former editor-in-chief, The Biafra Times.

As an independent journalist, I’ve taken the pain and time to converse with most of the pro-Biafra independence movement leaders, beginning from MASSOB, BNYL, MOBIN, BRM, IPM(led by Asari-Dokubo), and most recently, the faraway, APLM led by Dr. Ebenezer Akwanga, an Ambazonian activist seeking for the independence of Southern Cameroons. In addition to that, I’ve also spoken to some leaders of Igbo groups – ADF, ICM, Ohanaeze, Nzuko Umunna, etc.

Within these shortest periods, I have held talks with them, some of them have granted me interviews which has been published and at the end of all the conversations with them, they tend to be pointing towards One Direction – ‘unity, support, and cooperation’ of all pro-Biafra groups in order to achieve the freedom we all yearn for. Almost all of these pro-Biafra groups, except one, has accepted to forge a common front, and join hands together with other groups who have identified themselves as Biafrans and are pursuing the same agenda for the overall interest of the Biafra populace. Unity of purpose is now a song on the lips of many leaders in the Biafra struggle and outside the struggle.

When I publish some of these interviews to enlighten our people, some attack me and say “Oh! you’re now working with this group, you’re now working with Iroanya, you’re now working with Asari, you’re now working with Princewill, you’re now working with Akwanga et al.” Most times, they accuse me to the point they bring themselves into serious confusion. But all these things doesn’t bother me much because I know what I’m trying to achieve. I’m not doing it to promote one group over another or make one leader shine over another or enhance my skill. I’m not also doing it because it enlarges my bank account in anyway. The truth is: I don’t work for any of them but I’m a friend to all of them because I see them as one people working towards one goal in different directions. To bring our people to the gloomy and scorching reality, I must present the truth of whatever they say. Time has passed when lies, deceits and propaganda is the order of the day in the Biafra struggle. We can’t afford to continue to live in surrealism; in the realm of impossibilities, concocting and spreading fake and irrelevant news all over the internet. My one purpose is to enlighten our people and shake them out from their slumber.

As an independent journalist, if I don’t engage these people and hear what each of them have to say(because all of them are stakeholders in the Biafran struggle), then I’ve not really began doing my work as a Biafran journalist. Therefore, my door will continue to be open to receive and hear whatever any one of them has to say to our people.

I always thank and continue to appreciate those who have supported me all these while. I appreciate those who read my publications to get enlightened, those who bring out their time to read, digest and contribute constructively towards the message any of the leaders are trying to convey, not those whose stock-in-trade is just to read the headlines this minute and jump into the comment section the next minute to abuse and hurl insults to the message conveyed by the leaders. You’ve been insulting them all these while but yet it hasn’t achieved anything towards our growth and upliftment as a people. Your insults has not done any good to any of us; we’re still at crossroads because insults doesn’t solve any problem. In fact, I couldn’t believe it when yesterday, one of the writers was telling me in a certain post to join hands to castigate and insult a fellow Biafran against another Biafran because he is against their ‘leader’ and I laughed. Is that what we came here to do? Just to insult people who reasons or makes their opinion different from yours or that of your leader? I told him that I didn’t join the struggle to begin to insult people. That’s not my kind of journalism. I have a purpose to fulfil and that is to open the eyes of our people to embrace unity and reality via journalism.

On the other hand, I’m also grateful that so far, the message has been penetrating. My publisher told me that my “controversial reports” always generate traffic from viewers/readers on the website and this latest interview from Dr. Akwanga has stirred a lot of debates and comments in virtually all the groups I posted it. Some comments were constructive, while some, as usual, are just ordinary insults and abuses here and there but I appreciate them all because when someone airs his opinion through the media, it simply means that people are becoming aware and are conscious to what is happening whether good or bad. I don’t expect everyone to see the publications in the same perspective with me. Some people must disagree, some must argue reasonably while some must contribute foolishly in an insulting manner yet, it won’t deter us from carrying out our duties as journalists and contributing our quota is raising the consciousness and minds of our people, media-wise, no matter the level of attacks it generates. After all, that’s the beauty of democracy and liberty to free speech. It has spurred me to continue.

Nevertheless, the point I’m trying to emphasize here is the fact that no single group can restore Biafra as no single group is Biafra itself, otherwise, we wouldn’t still be in Nigeria today. I have never taken time to publicly address or advice all these groups but they should hear me out. This may be the first and last time, cos I don’t usually do this... There’s need for synergy, there’s need for cooperation, there’s need to come together and work together, there’s need to forge a common front. No single pro-Biafra group has ALL it takes to actualize Biafra; no single group can do it alone. All these groups who have since realized that working together would achieve greater results cannot all be wrong. Biafra does not belong to one single group and cannot be restored by one single individual or group. It’s a collective effort of every tribe and group that make up the Biafran territory.

Dr. Akwanga said it that pro-Biafran groups and leaders are only good in fighting for leadership, power tussle everywhere when they have not secured their land, when they have not gotten autonomy/authority, when they run away on self-exile, yet they continued fighting for power, at the detriment of the Biafran masses. He said when you work for the interest of the people, they’ll endorse you as their leader when you achieve independence. But if these groups continue to work at cross-purposes against themselves, then they’ll fail without even knowing it. If they continue to work in isolation, if they continue to work in disunity, then all their efforts will continue to be counter-productive. If any one of them likes, let him travel to Jakarta and to all the countries of the world, if you’re not working in unison with other interest groups, if you’re not working in consultation with other tribes in the Biafran region, then you’re doing in vain and you’re bound to fail.

Even if one individual or group succeeds in restoring Biafra in an atmosphere of disunity and disarray, the nation is bound to fail and may be worse off than South Sudan because there would be series of infighting, backbiting, internal wranglings and suicidal missions because the nation wasn’t restored in an atmosphere of togetherness. With my perception on the places I have visited and the people I’ve met so far, a lot still needs to be done inwardly before engaging people out there and that work would be perfectly done and achieved when everybody comes together, without it, Biafra will continue to be a mirage just like Dr. Akwanga said in the interview and just like Dokubo-Asari said during the Biafra Day commemoration that Biafra is feasible within one year if the people of the defunct Eastern region can come together. He said that everybody needs to join hands together and play their parts towards gaining sovereignty and nationhood. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of blessed memory along with other nationalists came together to birth Nigeria’s independence, he(Zik) didn’t do it all alone. If he could liaise with Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba and get them to see reasons with him to achieve Nigeria’s independence, then why would it be difficult for brothers and sisters within the same geographical entity to drop or quash their ego, step down from their high horses and come together for our general good and greater tomorrow? Let’s not, because of our ego, selfishness and personal gains, destroy or rubbish the sacrifices of our heroes who died for this cause because posterity will not judge us well if we allow all they have sacrificed to go down or vanish in vain.

In a complex struggle like ours, there’s no supreme leadership or supreme group or supreme individual, every group, no matter how small they are, counts and until we achieve our freedom, there are no particular Biafran leader. What we have today is pro-Biafra group leaders or agitational platform leaders because a true leader is a father of all groups and does not neglect anybody or despise any group or person. I don’t want to talk about the media and security department because they’ll always be there on their own but leaders must come together, unite and give the Biafra struggle a face capable of chasing the real enemies to the desert and the valley of perdition where they belong. If Dr. Akwanga who is faraway in Ambazonia can call for unity between the Biafra people and the Southern Cameroons, then who are the internal pro-Biafra leaders that they won’t sheath their swords, drop their selfish interests, settle their differences and come together as one people for the general interest of the Biafran populace? With unity of purpose, a lot can be achieved, one thousand miles can be covered within a space of time and God helping us, everything will come to place and sovereign nations will be pleading for negotiations on the terms and conditions of existence of the Biafra nationhood. Thank you.

Breaking: Air Force helicopter crash-lands in Katsina

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says its helicopter crashed in the process of landing while returning from an anti-banditry combat mission in the Northwest Theatre under Operation HADARAN DAJI.

A statement on Wednesday in Abuja by NAF’s spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said that details of the cause of the incident, which occurred at the Katsina Airport at about 3.30pm, were still scanty. “However, there was no loss of life, either of persons on board the helicopter or on the ground,” he said. Daramola said that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, immediately directed the constitution of a Board of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incident. “NAF continues to solicit the understanding and support of the general public as it daily strives to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

VN

Biafra’ll never come if Southern Cameroon fails – Dr. Akwanga opens can of worms

•Says Biafrans are making mess of the struggle, fighting for power
•Clarifies why he tried to unite pro-Biafra groups in Ghana....

By Chukwuemeka Chimerue – June 11, 2019

FOREMOST Ambazonian independence activist, chairman of the African People’s Liberation Movement, APLM, and Secretary General of the Organization of Emerging African States, OEAS, Dr. Ebenezer Derek Mbongo Akwanga, has called for cooperation and synergy between the various pro-Biafra groups in Nigeria and the pro-independence movement of the Anglophone Cameroonians, saying that Biafra will never become a reality if the exploits targeted towards Ambazonia’s independence fails.

Akwanga, who is a supporter of the Biafran case, and has spoken in favour of an alliance between Ambazonian and Biafran independence movements and also called for referendums on independence in both Southern Cameroons, including Bakassi and Biafra, explained that the reason for his statement was because there would be no escape route nor safe havens when the Nigerian government would begin to bombard the Biafran region.

The Ambazonian leader, who also doubles as the leader of the APLM armed group, the Southern Cameroon Defense Force, SOCADEF, in a message exclusively forwarded to our correspondent, was reacting against the backdrop of alleged talks between the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Southern Cameroons.

According to him, “IPOB does not have anything to do with Southern Cameroons,” clarifying that Southern Cameroon can only engage in discussions with pro-Biafra groups as a representative of Biafrans and not to IPOB as a group.

He said, “Southern Cameroons talk with the Biafra struggle. IPOB is just one of the entities within the Biafran struggle. We should not mix up these two things. IPOB is not Biafra. Biafra is an entity and you people know the geographic confines of Biafra more than me, so, IPOB is just a confine within Biafra. Southern Cameroon is a geographic confines, a historic confine that was existing and still existing.

“Because IPOB is not Biafra, Southern Cameroon cannot be talking to IPOB. If Southern Cameroon wants to discuss anything with our brothers and sisters, we’ll be talking to the Biafrans. IPOB could be one of those sitting on the table in that discussion as one of the groups or entity or organization within the Biafra struggle. We don’t have any business with IPOB. If we want to talk about any relationship, it should be one between Biafra and the Southern Cameroons.”

Giving reasons behind his concerted advocacy for alliance between the Biafrans and the people of Southern Cameroon, Akwanga explained that he realized his people cannot be separated by boundary and by relationship with the Biafran populace.

“The only reason I took it upon myself to try to bring the Biafrans together as Secretary General of the OEAS is because I know that whether we like it or not, Biafra as a geographic entity and Southern Cameroon are bound to be neighbours,” he said, adding “we’ll always be in that area together until the day God will decide to destroy the world again and change our position.

“We cannot run away from each other. We might have our differences, we might even be suspicious of one another but we cannot change our land masses. It’s not by stupidity or by madness that we’re linked together. Whether we believe in God or not, we cannot change the geographic confines.

“Biafrans cannot say we’re going to relocate and be part of the north and go to Jos, Yola or Maiduguri and send those people there to come and relocate down there. They cannot carry that land and change from it. So, we’re bound to be neighbours and in other words, we’re bound to be brothers and sisters.

“We intermarry and do other things – that was the only reason why I made the statement very clear – that any wise thinking Biafran will realize that if we Southern Cameroonians fail in our exploit, Biafra self-determination will never come, whether you like it or not because during the time of war, you’ll want to escape to our homeland, you’ll want a safe haven and then La Republic Du Cameroon that might have engulfed us will strengthen the frontiers and would add worse than what we’ve experienced and will make sure that Biafrans never have safe havens for her own freedom.

“It’s simple; you don’t need to go to school to know this. The handwriting is very clear. Why do you think that Buhari allowed our people to be kidnapped from Nigeria and taken to La Republic? It’s because of the Biafra struggle. They’re scared of the Biafra struggle but do the Biafrans themselves see that connection? Does any Biafran truly see that connection? I don’t think so. Some of you have been deceived and fooled by the idea that ‘Oh! you want war, Biafrans are trying to fight in Nigeria'.  That might be true but if you want to fight for something you think it’s most important than staying alive as a slave, what is bad in it? There’s nothing bad in it.

“As a human rights campaigner and Secretary General of the OEAS, when I talk about the Biafran issue, I’m not talking about it basically on the perspective of Southern Cameroons, I’m talking as a pan-Africanist. I merely made a statement that this would have been the time for Biafrans to say we need to find a way to give full support, even tacitly... you don’t need to do it in the open, you don’t need to beat your drums and hit your chest. You just need to play your own part in history, so that it will be recorded that we stood by your own brothers and sisters. Even if you don’t want to stand by your brothers and sisters, as human beings fighting for your own struggle, you would have said ‘listen, these people are fighting the same cause we’re fighting and they have taken their struggle to a level, it’s important that we stand by them'.  We can do that quietly but strongly without the rest of the world knowing what we’re doing or we can decide to do it in the open and say that we’re prepared to die with our brothers and sisters.

“I merely made a statement. I didn’t impose it on any Biafran neither did I say I want to come and lead the Biafran struggle when I’ve not finished leading the Southern Cameroon struggle to free my own people but the Biafrans know better. So, I do not want anybody to misquote me, to say that I went to Nigeria to have a meeting for IPOB, no!

“There are other Biafrans from different Biafran entities who were in Ghana for that meeting. It was to bring all the different Biafran groups fighting for Biafra self-determination. Our goal was to bring them together, that they should stop fighting themselves or understand that quarrelling against one another is nothing bad in a struggle like this but they should look at the common goal of achieving that freedom – that was what the OEAS was trying to achieve.

“When I went to Ghana, I didn’t go under the guise of the Southern Cameroon struggle, I went under the guise of OEAS. The unfortunate thing is I’m wearing many caps and people are always misquoting it. Yes, I’m well known for the Southern Cameroon struggle, I’ve been there for 35 years. I started between the age of 14-15. So when I do something, people always say Southern Cameroon, no! We were bringing Biafrans together so that they can solve their problems themselves.

“Biafrans have the potential, they have the manpower, they have the financial capacity and the know-how. But they themselves are making a mess of the struggle, they’re fighting for power while they do not have authority. If they have authority, they won’t be running away from their homeland; you’ll be in your homeland to fight. That’s the same message I’m giving to Southern Cameroonians – that we cannot be setting up governments and trying to impose ourselves in the majority of the people. We should be liberating our homeland, fight for liberation, then the people will decide whether you qualify to be their leader tomorrow. Don’t fight for leadership when you don’t have a land that you’re going to lead or when you don’t have a people to lead.

“I’ve made this statement and I’m not scared of anybody. Biafrans who know me, knows I’m not afraid of anybody. I’m not a respecter of people but I’m a respecter of ideas, especially ideas that uplifts the people. I don’t follow ideas that uplifts individuals, that’s not who I am. I’m who I’m for the things I’ve done in the struggle of my people. I’m not who I’m because I’m called Dr. Akwanga or because I tried to impose myself on the people. I don’t do that. I just do my job.

“So, it(the meeting in Ghana) wasn’t bringing IPOB and Southern Cameroons together. IPOB is not a nation, IPOB is not Biafra, so, we cannot be bringing IPOB to sit in a meeting with Southern Cameroons. That does not make any sense. Biafrans can come together to say we want to talk to our Southern Cameroon brothers and sisters and see what we can do. Not IPOB, not MASSOB or any other individual group, so let people not go and misquote me out there or go and give an erroneous statement,” he concluded.