The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Tuesday staged a peaceful rally at the commercial city of Aba, with a declaration that “Biafra’s freedom is unstoppable.”

The rally and the freedom fighter’s declaration was in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s vow that an independent Biafra would never become a reality.

The Nigerian leader had in a speech in Katsina on Monday reportedly vowed that an independent Biafra would not be allowed to materialise under his watch even if it would lead to Nigeria committing suicide to stop Biafra and any other separatist agitations to disintegrate the nation.

But in a swift response, IPOB organised the rally in Aba, saying that it was the group's method of sending a strong signal to Buhari by quietly rolling out one of its 48 zones on the streets of Aba, barely 24 hours after Mr. President made the disparaging comments about the Biafra independent movement.

IPOB described Nigeria as a hostile and unitary prison that would crumble sooner than later.

IPOB in a statement issued by its spokesmen, Emma Mmezu and Clifford Iroanya, said: “Our members were thoroughly provoked by Mr. President’s statement, hence the impromptu decision to show him that IPOB is fully on ground and totally dedicated to freedom.

“We are pained by the statement General Buhari made yesterday (Monday) in Kastina, that the whole of Nigerian would rather perish, than our people to be free from bondage.

“We view that position as the mindset of a deluded man. It is a pity that the man cannot see that this unitary and hostile prison called Nigeria, cannot survive much longer.”

The IPOB statement added: “He ( Buhari) is clearly not in touch with reality. His belief that killing us in cold blood (as he has been doing) will force us to fall in love with his dream unitary empire, where injustice, nepotism and hate reign, is laughable. Our message to him is short and precise: OUR FREEDOM IS UNSTOPPABLE.”

The pro-Biafra organisation also disclosed that it embarked on the peaceful protest in order “to pay to our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, for his tenacity and commitment to truth and to inform him that political comedians on the payroll of our enemies are busy entertaining the public in their wild claim to IPOB leadership.”

While declaring that its members “are totally committed body, soul and spirit to Nnamdi Kanu’s leadership, for better for worse (because) on Kanu we stand,” IPOB said that those being used to oppose his leadership would all end up in shame as they would never succeed in their efforts to distract the movement.

The group also said that the unplanned peaceful march at Aba was “in solidarity and in honour of over 200 of our members killed in cold blood by this blood thirsty regime and the over 100 others who are still missing and to state to the whole world that (their) death will not be in vain”.

“As the adversaries stagger in confusion, we assure them that no amount of extra judicial killings, false accusation and brutal intimidation will stop our march to freedom. We are about to cross the red sea, we are confident of what will soon happen to pharaoh and his chariots, we can sight the promised land, victory is assured,” IPOB asserted with confidence.

•Photo shows IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

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