THE PATIENCE OF IPOB AMIDST OPPRESSION AND INTIMIDATION BY NIGERIA'S MILITARY: THE NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION

Russell Bluejack

I am never too downtrodden with illness to reach out to our teeming IPOB members all over the world. In yesterday's piece, I deliberately took a jibe at my beloved leader in my bid to prove to armchair critics that it is feasible to be critical of a man's action and inaction without necessarily resorting to insult. Of course, I am very cool with the demeanour of our leader in his quest to doff the chains. 

Some of our people misconstrued the real intention and resorted to insulting my person, for which I did not fail to wield the big stick. We must be disciplined. I remain the indefatigable bulwark against any perceived or obvious insult meted out to my hero. I am sure Paul Unongo, Chairman of Northern Elders' Forum and Lauretta Onochie, Media Aide to Buhari, know better. They came under intense shellacking when they insulted my leader. Edwin Clark, another hustler from tIPOBSouth-South, knows better, too. No one is allowed to insult our hero.

In another vein, there was misinformation from the calls I received from our brothers and sisters concerning the Isi Alangwa and Oyigbo in Igweocha incidents. Latter calls painted the picture that the accounts of the former were twisted, either accidentally or deliberately. It is now crystal clear that the only crime committed by those killed and brutalised was embarking on a journey to the place of abode of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose home had become the epicentre of criminal activities of the oppressive military. But what manner of crime is that? If the military could leave the North for the East in the guise of Python Dance II training, what stops our people from traveling to Umuahia? Where else in this world do military personnel kill, brutalise, and maim unarmed travelers? This unprovoked action of the military betrays their real purpose for occupying the eastern part of Biafra.

Whether the Igweocha incident is veracious or imagined is immaterial here. What matters is that there is a limit to what the peace-loving IPOB under the aegis of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu can take. My readers should note that it is criminal to do nothing in the face of an obvious threat. It is also criminal to die in the hand of an oppressor without a fight. 

The international community have remained tranquil when and where they should speak up. The IPOB leadership should take a critical reexamination of their stand on nonviolence agitation. Our people are being killed like chicken. We cannot allow this attempt to decimate our number continue unabated. No one has monopoly over violence, for it is there for the peaceful and destructive. It is the decision, not incapacity, of the IPOB to remain nonviolent, but pushing us to the wall has it consequence.

It is so, so disheartening to note that since the 40s (Jos Pogrom) Biafrans have been the victims of the nozzles of guns and brandished cutlasses. For how long shall this ethnicity cleansing exercise continue without a reprisal attack? Thousands of our beloved people have been killed, leaving their friends, parents, wards, and kids to wallow in pains. This has to stop somehow. Yes, we outnumber these infidels. We are more intelligent than they are. 

We are more productive than they are. We are wealthier than they are. We blame the British imperialists and colonialists for giving these Futa Jallons access to our resources in the guise of AMALGAMATION. Let it be known that the geographical region referred to as Biafraland is older than this ersatz entity called Nigeria. The Amalgamation was done to make it possible for the descendants of Uthman Dan Fodio to extend their religious conquest and invasion. We have simply said this marriage has been test run for over 100 years and confirmed to be unsustainable. On the basis of the aforementioned realization, we have opted to divorce the oppressive husband called Nigeria. How is that a crime? Should we be kept captive in Nigeria?

Furthermore, we have noticed that there is neither cultural nor religious ties between Biafra and the North. Our unity, if I can call it that, is a product of fiat - one devoid of consultation and deliberation. It is also an indubitable fact that this concocted union is responsible for chaos and underdevelopment, since we share geographical space with barbarians and bloodsuckers. We are not oblivious of the fact that our continued stay in this contraption, a gift from Britain to the North, will stifle growth and development. Is it not worrisome that we are the ones being killed by those whose existentiality is debased and beastly? Futa Jallon, we have come to know, is a mountain where vultures are always seen in their number - a sign that its occupants are bestial. Fulani may have conquered Hausa, but we must work hard to ensure that they do not make inroads into our lands. I am very happy that the footage showing the unlawful activities of these nitwits has gone viral. 

We are Biafrans. Whatever we touch turns to gold. This invasion of our peaceful land, leaving Boko Haram to operate unfettered in the North, shall end in praise.

I hereby call on the global handlers of the IPOB to work on modalities that will stem the ugly tide of wanton destruction of lives and properties of Biafrans. The international community have remained distant. We must STOP DYING AND START KILLING. We are too sophisticated in technology for these beasts. The occupants of the eastern part of Biafra are not real soldiers: they are uniformed Boko Haramists on ethnicity cleansing mission. Let the nonviolent stance be critically examined. 

It is a heinous crime to die without a fight. Biafrans were able to withstand the nexus of Britain, Egypt, Nigeria, and Cameroon for almost three years. We are stronger and more strategic now to be afraid of anybody. We have resources that can be exchanged for sophisticated weapons to win this needless war. War looms, my dear people. Cowardice is not needed anymore. We are not chickens. It is time to chase these uniformed infidels and rapists out of our land. Any international alliance that will enable us arm and give these bastards a run for their money is welcome.

I think the recurrent killing of our people is responsible for my metastatic malaria. I will remain bedridden until something drastic is done to assuage the killings. The next time news of killings come to public knowledge, I want us to be the ones dishing it out. Shalom, brothers and sisters. Pray for our leader. Pray for me to bounce back. God bless you all.

Russell Idatoru Bluejack is the Rivers Team Leader, IPOB