Factional leader of the Movement for the actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has landed in Kaduna on a peace mission amid the tension arising from the quit notice served Igbos in the North by some northern youths and elders. Uwazuruike appealed for peace and has since his arrival in Kaduna been holding consultations with a cross section of northern leaders.

He assured of the safety of the northerners resident in the South East and urged them to continue with their businesses in the areas.

“I am here to assure you northerners that all your people in the South East are safe and nobody will harass them,” Uwazuruike, who founded MASSOB in September 1999, said.

He said that the crisis in the country was being manipulated by politicians and urged the youth not allow themselves to be used.

Uwazurike, who led a peace delegation of prominent Igbo leaders from the South East and some parts of the North, addressed youth groups in Kaduna on Monday in the company of Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

He said: “I am here today to say that the main purpose of floating the organisation called MASSOB was not to cause crisis in Nigeria.

“I assured the late Odumegu Ojukwu, when he was alive, that there would be no other civil war in Nigeria. Because he (Ojukwu) was so concerned and wanted some measure of assurance from me that MASSOB would not cause problems in Nigeria and I gave him that assurance. And I am today disappointed, that the assurances I gave may not see the light of the day if certain measures were taken and that is why I am here in Arewa House today.”

Uwazuruike spoke of the need to address the issue of perceived marginalisation of Ndigbo.

“Though it was right for any part of the country to seek self determination, it was wrong to pursue same through violent means. Self determination without violence is a fundamental right. We must strive against sowing the seed of discord ‎but do all that will promote peace and justice.

“There is a gap of communication from our leaders which needs to be bridged hence we are meeting with notable leaders in the north to persuade them that there is no cause for alarm,” he added.

He said that since he started MASSOB in 1999, but the agitation for self determination of the Biafra State has remained peaceful.

His words: “MASSOB had existed for 18 years without violence, but 2009, I went to London and opened Radio Biafra and handed it over to Nnamdi Kanu as the director.

“Soon afterwards, politicians hijacked him, and he started working for them.

“The radio that was meant to educate our people and advise our people was turned into the source of hate messages, blackmail, intimidation and others.

“The result an effect was that the northerners came up to challenge, or to say that they are not happy with the hate messages and the insults they receive from the same radio.

“I am happy to hear my friend, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, who assured of the safety of lives and property of Ndigbo in Northern region.”

Al-Mustapha, the convener of the meeting, said they were in Kaduna to broker peace over the quit notice.

He appealed to the Kaduna State Government and the Inspector General of Police to withdraw the arrest threat on the youth leaders who made the Kaduna Declaration.

“We are also appealing that our younger ones whom have been declared wanted should be set free, and the order of arrest should be rescinded ‎because it is not the solution.

“We convene the meeting to intervene into the impasse threatening the unity and oneness of the country particularly with the recent quit notice on Igbos resident in the North by coalition of northern youths organisations,” Al-Mustapha said.

He said the youths need to wear their thinking caps and use their brains and refuse being used to foment any form of crisis that could affect the unity of the country.

“The tension may not be unconnected with external hands and was not surprising, because same may have been sponsored by countries that envy Nigeria,” Al-Mustapha said.

He cautioned the youth to stop making statements that would further cause tension in the country. He said he was not unaware of the unpleasant comments coming from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

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