The Biafra Nations Youth League (BNYL) has lamented the death, on Friday in Lagos, of Chief Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, the first son of late Biafra warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The National Leader of BNYL, Princewill Chimezie Richard, said the news of Debe’s death came to him early on Saturday by a phone call from a journalist.

Recalling is interactions with the late lawyer, Richard said: “I received the information with shock because I was with Debe not up to a month ago when I visited to talk about the current political heat in Nigeria, after which I moved down to Calabar to hold a meeting with the BNYL officials. At some point we wanted him to speak on something, then we had another appointment in Lagos before 20^th. I told him I would be sending the press to interview him. As I was in Lagos mobilising the press, I called him to notify him that I would be coming to his office soon, but he stopped picking calls. I moved down to his office but it was locked. I went to his wife’s restaurant inside Nnewi Building at Apapa Wharf but she was not there, so I left and the next day I moved down to Port Harcourt but not without trying his line, yet no response. I sent him messages; no reply. From October 27th his phone became switched off, so I began to wonder what had happened, only to get information before it went viral online that he is gone.”

The BNYL leader explained Debe’s role in the Biafra struggle and his contributions to the development of the South East. His words: “When I first came in contact with Debe was when the BNYL was founded in 2013; he was part of the process, and has been playing advisory role.

“Aside that, he was active in the renewed Biafra campaign, being a member of the Supreme Council of Elders of IPOB led by Rtd Justice Eze Ozobu and the Former President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dozie Ikedife respectively. A case was initiated in court against Nigeria by an international lawyer, Emeka Emekesiri, at Owerri in 2013; that case was championed by him being the lead counsel, until his death he spoke without mincing words. He has been a great contributor to the development of the South East. He was part of the process of the formation of Alaigbo Development Foundation , an Igbo group championing development and now restructuring after the 2014 Igbo international colloquium at Enugu which prepared the position of Ndigbo at Goodluck Jonathan’s Sovereign National Conference. A lot of contributions from him that I cannot mention.”

BNYL appealed to Ojukwu’s family “to end their crises over properties of Ojukwu and put their differences aside and give Debe a deserved befitting burial.”

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