Speaking to Sunday Telegraph yesterday Madu, Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Comrade Uchenna Madu, explained the rationale behind their support for the Niger Delta Avengers, declaring that MASSOB is not apologetic for its stand. said:
“Beside the fact that your enemy’s enemy is naturally your friend, the Avengers have openly declared support for the Biafran struggle and for the release of Nnamdi Kalu.
They have a right to pursue whatever is their grouse against the Nigerian state and how they do it, is their choice. What we know is that we have found points of agreement with the group; our approaches may be different, but our pursuit for an independent identity is similar.” Madu explained that the Avengers have been consistent in their struggle and said he cared nothing about how the Niger Delta group chooses to fight their battles.
“Our conviction is that Nigeria as one nation is not accommodating every integral ethnic nationality and as such, is not working and cannot work. So we support anything that can accelerate the independence of oppressed ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. If the Niger Delta wants independence, let them get it because it contravenes no national or international law; if the Middle Belt wants their own sovereign state, let them get it; if the South West wants its own and is ready to fight for it, let them get it also. We will be ready to also support Boko Haram if they seek self-determination and not these cheap killings along ethno-religious lines.”
The MASSOB leader stressed that if a government chooses not to listen to peaceful agitation; it makes violent agitation attractive for other interest groups. Madu explained further: “Nigerians should not be surprised at the proliferation of militant agitations from across the country.
Common sense would suggest that ethnic agitations henceforth may be militant because people will reason that the road to non-violent agitation is long and slow and would rather settle for armed agitation and we will not blame any group for their methodology. But for us, we are non-violent and will remain non-violent. If they have refused to listen to us as peaceful as we have been, then let them listen to the Niger Delta Avengers and other aggrieved militant groups that will be forced into the struggle by the rampant injustice in the land.”
Kanu vindicated, IPOB declares
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has declared that their detained leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has been vindicated in his prophecies concerning happenings in Nigeria. The group, in a press statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, and media and publicity officer, Emma Powerful, said almost all the predictions Kanu made about Nigeria, misconstrued ‘preaching’ hate by Nigerians, have come to pass except the total emancipation of Biafrans that is still lingering.
“It is important to remind the people of the world that almost all the prophecies of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and Director, Radio Biafra, have come to pass.
The only one remaining today is the total restoration of the state of Biafra which is around the corner,” the statement said. The ‘successful prophecies’, according to the statement, include the plans to Islamise the country; the plan to kill unarmed civilians because of hatred for the people of Biafra; the plan to use the Fulani cattle rearers/herdsmen as foot soldiers to attack the people of eastern Nigeria in Biafraland.
The statement added, “We in IPOB family worldwide condemn those individuals and groups who know the truth of what happened on that faithful day May 30, 2016 and know that IPOB members do not carry arms but they refused to tell or say the true position of the killings of unarmed civilians when they were visited by foreign observers and international human rights organisations.
“More so, we urge all IPOB family members worldwide to be resolute and be prepared for what is about to come because the Federal Government has perfected plans to kill and annihilate the people of eastern Nigeria and the Biafra restoration has been internationalised and it is the high time we put in more efforts to make the independent state of Biafra a reality.”
And in another development, MASSOB, frowned at the leader of the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, for not supporting the approach adopted by the Niger Delta Avengers in their agitation for the actualisation of Biafra. MASSOB pointed out that whereas they are backing the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), BIM leadership is angry at MASSOB for supporting the Avengers’ cause.
A statement signed by MASSOB National Director of Information, Comrade Samuel Edson, said by not supporting the Avengers, it means that the BIM leader, Uwazuruike, has compromised in the struggle for the actualisation of Biafra.
Jonathan’s associates using Avengers to destabilize Buhari’s government – MEND
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has accused associates of former President, Goodluck Jonathan of using new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, to destabilise President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
The defunct militant group made the accusation in a statement by Tinipa Jenkins Okponipere yesterday. The statement reads: “The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is the vehicle currently being used by Niger Delta political elite and associates of former President Goodluck Jonathan to destabilize President Buhari’s Government. It was these political juggernauts who are loathe seeing President Buhari gain a foothold in the region.”
