By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor
Pro-Biafra group, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), has urged the United Nations (UN) and other world leaders not to delay further in granting independence to the state of Biafra.
The demand came on Tuesday in Lagos at the MASSOB-BIM 17th anniversary of non-violence, non-exodus struggle for independence which also held in some other part of the country particularly the South East.
MASSOB in a statement by its regional leader and Elder-in-Council, Eze Calistus, said it’s a matter of time for the independence of Biafra to be granted as all that is needed to be done has been concluded.
The group said that the Nigerian government has remained hostile to the people of South Eastern part of the country, alleging that plans had been concluded to exterminate the people of the zone.
MASSOB, however, vowed not to succumb in its struggle despite persecution, insisting that although freedom can never be achieved on a platter of gold, their present persecutions and political subjections would always strengthen their zeal as genuine freedom fighters.
“Today, all over the world, our members are on sober reflection, as we remember the persecutions, traumatic torture, brutalities, extra judicial killings, imprisonment and traumatic deaths in the hands of Nigerian security agents and we have resolved that we shall never relent or succumb.
“We are aware that plan had been concluded for the extermination of the former Eastern region (Biafra).
“That our people and farms are being killed and destroyed by the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Fulani herdsmen on daily basis.
“We can no longer live with the people where our security, justice and freedom are not guaranteed.
“That on the independence of Biafra we stand, and nothing else. We express our gratitude to all lovers of freedom, all over the world. We also acknowledge the information credited to the UN that Nigeria “is deeply divided.”
Calistus said that those thinking that MASSOB has irreconcilable factions would be disappointed at the end as the goal of the group remains the same: realisation of the state of Biafra.
The group asked the President Buhari-led federal government to release without further delay, IPOD leader, Nnamdi Kanu, while commending its leader Ralph Uwazurike for his vision in establishing MASSOB on September 13, 1999.