OPERATION PYTHON DANCE WAS TO UNDERMINE THE CALLS FOR BIAFRANS' SELF-DETERMINATION

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra; Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, before the European Union on Tuesday said, that it was the ill treatment being meted by successive government, particularly the present Mohammadu Buhari led All Progressive Congress (APC) administration, aggravated the situation that worsened the agitation for the Sovereign State of Biafra led by IPOB.

In a paper presented by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to the European Union known as EU Parliament, Mazi Kanu said, that after the Nigeria-Biafra Civil war, Biafrans slowly rebuilt their world again. But as far as Nigeria was concerned, they were not and never had been Biafrans at all. They were Nigerians from South east or Igbo-speaking Nigerians.

He said, the Biafran war was airbrushed out of the Nigerian consciousness, and that Biafrans could only whisper about their loss. Then and unto today, joining the global Biafrans diaspora was one option for those who could get out of the country, while other remained in Biafra land, as their Biafran identity amongst themselves, undiminished and Nigeria leaders particularly the present administration of Buhari continually to prioritize crushing assertions of Biafra identity, and has been the order of the day, as even peacefully commemorating the war risks arrest, detention prohibited ill treatment or being shot.

He made it open that in recent years, the Nigerian state authorities have conducted three orchestrated campaigns against Biafrans, and the three Operation Python Dance military operations have been battled, targeted against us the Biafrans. The first was in 2016 and the second in 2017, where twenty-eight men were killed in a twinkle of an eye, while the third is still ongoing. All this was designed to undermine calls for Biafra self-determination. Operation Python Dance campaigns are full of intimidation, with serious and systemic human rights violations were carried out by the state with impunity, and the IPOB which is the indigenous people of Biafra, the only voice of Biafrans for self-determination, a nonviolent group, were continually targeted for extinction and total annihilation. It is still this self-determination by our peaceful group IPOB, calling for referendum that the Buhari led Nigerian government decided to brand us terrorist organization, a proclamation the EU, the United Kingdom and United States of America have all rejected.

Nnamdi Kanu said, that Nigeria is the problem and never the solution, adding that Nigeria has always been a fiction because it was created for British administrative and colonial continence in 1914, having drawn together different people into one entity.

He said that Biafrans do not speak the same language, as many speak Igbo, and others speak Urhobo-Isoko, Ijaw-Epie-Ogbia, Ogoni, Efik, Annang, Eket, Oron-Ibibio, Ogoja, Ejagham, Igala, Idoma Ibani and Ika among others.

To put Biafra in its Nigeria geo-political context, Biafraland is made up of Rivers Province Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Bayelsa, and Delta state, of which the Fulani herdsmen have shown desperation and interest in the provinces, crossing the central belt of Nigeria down to the south eastern part of Nigeria, which is Biafra, such as Enugu.

“While not endorsing colonial rule, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said that the Biafra persecution started with the Independence as one colonial master was replaced by another and without endorsing British rule, Biafran fared better under the British than they have under Nigerian dominance." This is no joke, it is either Biafra or nothing.

Written by:

Ajuzieogu Chukwuebuka

For: Abia State Media

Edited by:

Solomon Elughaiwe

For: Abia State Media

Published by:

Chibuike John Nebeokike

For: Abia State Media