By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPPB) has explained why the weekly sit-at home order was suspended.

The group in a statement on Saturday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said the cancellation announced on Radio Biafra the previous night by IPOB Head of Directorate of State, Chika Edoziem, followed a direct order by its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, through his lawyers.

The statement partly reads: “We know that our people embraced this civil action wholeheartedly and without any compulsion.

“The leadership sincerely appreciate the innate desire of Biafrans to sacrifice their time, resources and energy in ensuring that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released unconditionally from the illegal custody of the Nigerian State who criminally renditioned him from Kenya to Nigeria.

“The suspension of the Sit-At-Home by the IPOB Head of Directorate of State was as a result of a direct order from the Supreme Leader of this great movement Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, through his lawyers.

“There is no gain saying the fact that one of the major fundamental guiding principles of IPOB is Command and Control. This simply means that all commands from the Supreme leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) will be obeyed and implemented to the letter by the Directorate of State of the Indigenous people of Biafra.

“Bearing in mind, therefore that this principle has enabled this movement to surpass even the expectations of both Biafrans and Non Biafrans alike, the leadership wish to encourage Biafran to focus on the most pressing issue confronting this great family presently which is ensuring the safety of our leader while still in the illegal custody of the DSS and to secure his unconditional release from detention.

“In accordance with the directive from our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, our Sit-At-Home will in the meantime be observed on the date of our leader’s court appearances.”

lPOB urged Biafrans worldwide to take note of the next court appearance of its leader on October 21, 2021, saying that anytime the need arises or in the event of a directive from IPOB’s highest body, the suspension would be called off.

The group hailed Biafrans, friends and sympathisers who faithfully observed the Monday August 9 Sit-At-Home “which was a huge success throughout Biafra land.”

“The suspension of sit at home order was not done to downplay the integrity and determination to pursue the aim and objective of this noble movement, Please our people should bear with us, it’s for the best interest of this great movement.

“We consider Biafra restoration as a sacrosanct call to duty above all else. Any other information regarding Sit-At-Home in Biafraland not emanating from IPOB through our main channels of information dissemination should be disregarded.

“The Nigeria Government should heed now to the voice of reason coming from within Nigeria and from outside the shores of Nigeria to unconditionally free our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and announce a date for Biafra referendum or plebiscite where our people will choose where they wish to belong before it is too late.

“Forcing Biafrans citizens to be in Nigeria without a referendum or plebiscite will not continue in our life time because our ancestors were not consulted during their 1914 Amalgamation by Fredrick Lugard and his girlfriend Flora Shaw,” the statement added.

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