Interview: Self-defense is our right - Mefor

 

Uche Mefor: IPOB Deputy Leader

In the ongoing struggle for Biafra independence, Uche Mefor, Deputy Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Radio Biafra calls on compatriots not to be wearied. He says the struggle is on course, and that they should not be distracted by the lies and deception of Nigerian government and officials.

How is the struggle so far?

The struggle, I can tell you, is well on course. We have said on occasions, and must always appreciate the fact that freedom is taken, not given. Therefore there are bound to be challenges. Indeed, there are always prices to be paid, and Biafran people are already paying the price for their freedom at the moment.

There is an ongoing genocidal orgy of terror against Biafran people under the supervision of the current ruler of the Islamic Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, who is not mincing words about his mission. But the major point here is that there are people, especially the Fulani and their Hausa slaves, who believe that Biafrans must not exist, and Buhari is acting out that agenda for them to the letter. Buhari is an Islamic bigot, and he is the arrowhead of that agenda. Part of that agenda is to further decimate the population of Biafra, through ongoing massacre of peaceful protesters, IPOB family members precisely. But we are determined; we will not give up.

So all I can say at this particular point in time is that the struggle is moving on fine.

But what offense did Biafra people commit to warrant their being exterminated?

Their offence is that they are showing sincere unhappiness (through peaceful protests) to the illegal detention of our leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Since August 2015, Buhari has been massacring IPOB family members for protesting the illegal arrest and detention of Kanu.

The latest was that which happened at Aba, where the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police used a school grounds to embark on their training. Our people were praying, as was their practice before embarking on the peaceful protest march for the day, and the Nigerian Army and chose to use them for shooting practice.

Dumped bodies of massacred Aba protesters

So, the struggle is on course; our people are paying the ultimate price for it; and our hearts go out to the family members of those that were killed. One thing is clear here, we will never forget them. We will continue to honour their memories. We will make sure that wherever they are, they will know that we did not forget their labour of love to the Biafran people. They have paid the ultimate price that we may have this freedom.

What is the position with the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who your people said was kidnapped by Buhari?

Yes, kidnapped is the word. Buhari has been a kidnapper from time immemorial. Did you know that it was Buhari who kidnapped Umaru Dikko here in London in July 1984? He put him in a crate and wanted to smuggle him to Nigeria. The same Buhari is now the friend of the British today.

Yes, he sent his men to kidnap Nnamdi Kanu for him and he wants to make sure that our leader is jailed. The issue of trampling on the fundamental right of our leader is not hidden. He also made a public statement on our leader, that he did not have any intention of releasing him. His reason is that our leader has dual citizenship, which is that he has two passports – Nigerian Passport and British Passport. He went further to say that he used neither of the two passports and therefore would not be released. I have never seen that low-level of reasoning anywhere.

He also said that our leader imported sophisticated equipment, and till date he has not told the world what those sophisticated equipment are. We don’t know how that equipment entered Nigeria. Did it fly through the sky and fell down in Nigeria? Did it not pass through the Ports Authorities – through customs and people like that?

Those were the crimes, according to Buhari, that our leader Nnamdi Kanu committed – he has two passports, Nigerian and British; he has dual citizenship, Nigerian and British; he imported sophisticated equipment, which did not have a name. That is the crime that he committed. I have seen irrational leaders come out of Africa, but this one is beyond me.

It appears Biafrans do not like Buhari?

It is not that we do not like Buhari; it is that we understand him and where he is coming from. Buhari has come with a full-fledged Northern agenda, which is to decimate Biafrans and reduce Biafran population. He is effectively targeting Biafran youths, women and children all in the name of one-Nigeria.

But when it comes to the zoo called Nigeria, I can tell you authoritatively that, both economically and for development, he has no agenda for it. He has no plans. His eyes are on the petroleum and gas resources coming from Biafraland, and any obstacle on his way must be removed. He has a history of killing Biafrans, way back from 1967 to 1970. He presided over the decimation of a cross-section of the Biafran population, and until date, he has been doing that.

His presidency is an opportunistic one. He has had this opportunity and he is using it as another way of fulfilling his age-long agenda. This opportunity presented to him now as the Islamic Republic of Nigeria President, has given him another impetus to kill Biafrans. He wants to make sure that our leader, Nnamdi Kanu is jailed.  Of course the issue of flouting of court orders, the issue of trampling on the fundamental human rights of our leader Nnamdi Kanu is not hidden. The world should not allow him that maniacal pleasure.

Some people say IPOB has gone violent, is it true?

Well, I will answer that question by also asking a question. If they say that IPOB has gone violent, the question now is: how many people have IPOB killed? Where are the people that we have wounded? When where they buried and when? Every time that our people who were killed by Nigerian Army and Police are being buried, we always announce it. People always get there and we take pictures. Can you tell us when and where they buried their own dead?

But let me make this clarification once again; and let nobody make any mistake about it. Freedom is in the DNA of every average Biafran. Respect for human life is in the DNA of every average Biafran. Respect for rule of law is our hallmark. Nobody can impose anything on us. The principle factor that has continued to guide every IPOB member around the world is freedom, which of course comes with it respect for human life, respect for rule of law, respect for freedom of speech, and peaceful co-existence.

We have maintained that we are peaceful, we never pretended about it, and our track-record is there for all to see. We have maintained also that we are the original owners of the land of Biafra, and that we want to restore our nation, Biafra. We want to live in our country, our nation, Biafra to achieve our full potentials. We have resisted violence, and that is why in spite of all the provocations from Nigerian government – the shooting of unarmed IPOB members, the forceful deprivation of our properties – we have refused to retaliate; and we have refused to react the way they wanted us to. This is simply because we are organized, we are focused, and we have an agenda, and we are following it methodically. We have long determined that nobody will write another agenda for us. They have severally tried to take our attention elsewhere, but we have refused to derail from our path.

We are exploring and following all the democratic principles and procedures on the ground. Indeed, we intend to continue to do that. Now it is equally very important that we make everyone to understand that just as all human beings are; just as Nigerians are; just as every other country in the world are; just as American citizens are; just as Japanese citizens are, just as world citizens are, just as they all have the fundamental human rights, so also do Biafrans have them. Just as they have the right for self-preservation, and the right for self-defense, so do Biafrans have. Just as these people have these rights, even the right to defend themselves, so also do Indigenous People of Biafra also have these rights, including the right to defend themselves.

In addition, these rights to self-defense is embedded and recognized both in national and international law. What we have just said is that those who are killing IPOB family members must now realize that we are also human beings and that we also have our fundamental human rights to be respected. We have our freedoms to be respected, and indeed, we also have our right to defend ourselves. That we will do, simply because we are humans and we have the right to do so.

Killed Biafran protester

They have continued to kill us and have continued to attack us, and we have also maintained, with available evidence on the ground, that Biafran people are the most endangered species of human beings on this planet earth. We are singled out for total extermination and destruction, and the Fulanis with their Hausa slaves, led by Buhari this time around are making good their promise.

              (Continue Thursday, March 3, as Mefor explains Self-defense)