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Rivers, Benue Leaders Reject Biafra
The Ogbakor Ikwerre, a body of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality in Rivers State has categorically rejected the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu’s demand that Rivers State must be part of Biafra.
According to the President-General of the Ogbakor Ikwerre Convention Worldwide, Prof Simeon Achinewhu, Biafra failed in the past because there were attempts by the former Biafran leader, late Odumegwu Ojukwu, to force unwilling minority groups into Biafra.
Speaking on behalf of the Ijaw nation, the factional President, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eric Omare, asked Kanu to restrict his Biafra agitation to states of the South-East.
Omare said: “The Ijaw nation has said it times without number that the South-South, especially the Ijaw are not part of Biafra territory.”
It would be recalled that Nnamdi Kanu recently paid a visit to the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt, where he was received by a large number of pro-Biafra supporters.
Addressing the crowd, which was reported to be over three million, Nnamdi Kanu, said there was nothing like one Nigeria, insisting that Biafra is the reward of the people.
The IPOB leader described Biafra as the destiny of the people.
He urged his supporters to demand for Biafra now for the benefit of their children and their grand children who have been marginalized by those in Abuja.
Some prominent leaders in Benue State have strongly rejected the plan by the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to extend his proposed Biafra Republic to their state.
The reaction of the leaders followed a claim by the IPOB leader that while he was in detention, an agent of the Federal Government had offered him to secede with the five Igbo states but that he rejected the offer because it did not constitute the complete territory of Biafra.
Speaking on the issue, a prominent Benue leader who is a retired police chief, Abubakar Tsav, said Kanu’s speech has shown that the IPOB leader must have some mental disorders.
He said: “I think the man has some mental problems. What is the connection between the Tivs, the Idoma and the Igbo? I think the man needs to see a psychiatric doctor because something is wrong with him.
“He is not well because nothing connects the Tivs, the Idoma to the Igbo. How can he say he wants Benue State to be part of Biafra? He should stay where he is, and carry on with his madness. We are not ready to be part and parcel of his madness”.
Other prominent indigenes of Tiv, Idoma and Igede, the three major ethnic groups in Benue State, who rejected Kanu’s plan to expand the Biafra territory to their state included, a first-class traditional ruler in Tivland, the Tor Sankera, Abu King Shuluwa; a former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro; a former minister of state for education, Prof Jerry Agada and former economic adviser to former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Ode Ojowu.
The Traditional Ruler, King Shuluwa, questioned Kanu’s intelligence for trying to extend Biafra Republic to Benue State.
He said: “His level of intelligence is in question, else, how dare him to annex Benue as part of Biafra territory. In fact, if you are looking for more people to be part of your territory, does common sense not say you should have a talk with them?”
On his part, former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, said Benue State had no connection with Biafra agitation in any way. Benue is not part of Biafra, we do not have any relationship with Biafra in genealogy, culture and by colonial creation, Benue is part of the North,” Moro stated.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.