House, Asaba condemning the arrest and detention of the Director of
Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
Gathered under the aegis of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Delta
State chapter, the protesters, mainly women, demanded the immediate
release of Kanu, describing his arrest as uncalled for and totally
unacceptable.
PHOTO: The Indigenous People of Biafra on a Peaceful Protest over the
Arrest of the Director of Radio Biafra Tuesdaay along Ikwerre road in
Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Vanguard
Chanting songs of grievances and displaying placards which bore
various inscriptions such as "Freedom for Biafra, free Nnamdi Kanu",
"We are not terrorists, we are freedom fighters", "We are tired of
intimidation and harassment by Nigeria Government", "Biafra on the
move" amongst others, the protesters said they were no longer
comfortable with the Nigerian government.
Speaking during the protest, Secretary of IPOB, Delta State chapter
Nnenna Nwaoha, said: "The reason for the protest is for Nnamdi Kanu to
be released; we have suffered enough in the hands of the Nigerian
Government and we are no more comfortable with it.
"We want our freedom that is why we are here. We are not comfortable
with the Nigerian government, the intimidation, killing and all that;
that is why we want our freedom. We feel very bad about his detention
and it is affecting each and every one of us. We are not comfortable,
we want to go.
"The federal government should release our Director, Dr. Nnamdi Kanu
and we also want our freedom. As a nation that is due for freedom, we
want to go; we are tired; the suffering is too much; it is not a crime
to want our freedom; we want to go."
Also speaking, Chineye Udeoba expressed bitterness at the detention of
Kanu, saying "we are bitter and we are giving them a strict warning
and order to release him.
"We are not Nigerians, we are Biafrans. My father is seventy-two years
old and he is older than Nigeria. He is a Biafrian, I am a Biafran and
we all here are Biafrans. We the indigenous people of Biafra are ready
to go. We want to be on our own.
"The British came and amalgamated us with these Oduduwa and Arewa
people, we are not one; we were never one, we are totally different in
terms of tradition; we are Biafrans. We want to be on our own as
indigenous people of Biafra. We want our freedom.
On her part, Mrs. Judith Ihebiehi said: "This man is our voice, he is
our mentor. We have been in darkness all these while, so this man has
been speaking for us, so the Nigerian government has no right to
detain him; he has done nothing.
"Have they ever asked themselves if what this man has been saying is
false? Have they bothered to verify what Nnamdi Kanu has been saying?
So detaining Nnamdi Kanu will bring problems; we have been calming our
husbands down, we have been saying 'wait' we women will go to the
government, we will talk to them and say this is what we want; we
don't want problem that is why we are here.
"Our reason of coming here is to tell the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to
help us take our message to the federal government. He is not the one
detaining him but we are here to tell him to take it to Abuja." The
protesters were however, denied entry into the Government House by
police officers.
-Vanguard
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