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For September 17th, 2005

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

On September 7, 2005 Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, in its tradition and brand-name non-violence manner, in cooperation with, and with the full support and participation of, the entire people of Biafra, carried out a successful demonstration for the civil rights of MASSOB—against constant SSS harassment of MASSOB and the MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazurike; and at the same time, for the human rights of Biafrans and Biafrans. Rallies were held all over Biafraland including Aba, Asaba,  Awka, Calabar, Enugu, Ihiala, Onitsha, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Uyo, Warri and other Biafran towns, and in some parts of Nigeria such as Abuja, Benin and Lagos.

At Uga junction in Onitsha, the Nigerian police fired at the Biafran peaceful, unarmed demonstrators and killed 5 persons, injuring many. In other locations, scores of demonstrators and innocent passers-by were arrested by the Nigerian police and are currently being detained and manhandled in police cells across Biafraland and all over Nigeria. In Lagos, 5 Biafrans were shot and injured by the Nigerian police at Martin Street; one was in critical condition; the police claim that they were shooting robbers, but the whole world now knows the lies of the Nigerian police.

In the same lying vein, the Nigerian police claimed that our unarmed MASSOB / Biafran demonstrators killed and injured some police men. What a shameful and bare-faced lie!—which is what the entire world has come to expect from the Nigerian police. Even when tear-gased at the MCC junction in Onitsha by the police who were obviously outnumbered and surrounded by thousands of our peaceful MASSOB / Biafran marchers, our brothers and sisters remained disciplined and told the police that they forgive them; continuing on with the peaceful protest without touching their attackers.

We acknowledge all the victims—our own blood: those who were killed, those who were injured, those who were arrested, those who are being detained and those who are being tortured by the police, even as we speak—victims of this moral civil action; and we appreciate the supreme price which they have paid for our freedom, the freedom of Biafra, the freedom of all Biafrans. God only can comfort and heal them adequately.

We acknowledge all the participants in this march for our human rights, recognizing their courage and bravery in the face of real and certain danger; and their conviction to follow the way of non-violence. We acknowledge the support of our people, the people of Biafra, both direct and indirect, and we assure them that with their undivided help, Biafra will be ours sooner than thought.

Fellow Biafrans, this exercise was completely successful. Ask any of the participants. Ask even the Nigeria police. Ask Nigeria: they will tell you. We have here publicized the casualty count neither to seek sympathy nor to glorify martyrdom, but because that, too, is an integral part of the success of our exercise. We seek self determination as a nation, and we stop at nothing to get there. We demonstrate our resolve and our seriousness and commitment to achieving what we want by what we are willing to give and what we are willing to pay for it. Give, and pay, we have and have been. Biafra, then, we must have, too; Biafra we will have. God made us Biafrans, and created Biafra and placed us therein. But, first and foremost, God created us in God’s own image. What power or principality or person or personality or institution can stop us from being what God created us? Neither death nor life, nor bullets nor teargas, not suffering nor persecution, nor trigger nor button, neither lies nor falsehood nor intimidation can stop us from being what God made us.

The last we checked, God did not need nor seek nor ask permission from Obasanjo nor from Nigeria nor from the Nigeria police and Nigeria SSS before He, God, could create us in His own image and place us in His also-creation, Biafra, as Biafrans.  Why, then, should we be perturbed by what Obasanjo-Nigeria-Police think they can do to stop what God has ordained? They have already failed.

And, lest anyone forget, remember that we as a nation and the people of Biafra have done everything possible to live with Nigeria and in Nigeria and as Nigerians: in fact, we have bent over backwards, past the point of back-break, to work with and be with Nigeria. No other ethnic nation living in Nigeria has done more and tried more to integrate itself into Nigeria than we have. In return, Nigeria has consistently rejected, spurned, mocked, loathed, and persecuted us. Nigeria is not hiding the fact that she is relentless in her policy to humiliate us, dispossess us, repress us, suppress us, annihilate us, and erase us from life and history itself. 

Today, many of us experience the result of Nigeria’s calculated machinations against us, down to our marrow: your educational opportunity is deliberately taken away by Nigeria; job opportunity is deliberately taken away by Nigeria; business opportunity is deliberately blocked by Nigeria; trade and commerce are deliberately blocked by Nigeria; societal development is especially targeted and eliminated by Nigeria. Biafraland has become a land of forced occupation, occupied by armed Nigeria police, Nigeria SSS and other agents and operatives, and Nigeria military. Our streets are patrolled heavily by the police not for police-work but for the harassment and extortion of peaceful Biafrans trying to go about their normal business in their own land. Our markets have now become mini-police stations, not for security as the police claim, but for harassment and more extortion. Our roads, deliberately kept un-motorable, are now only defined by police checkpoints every one hundred yards, not for traffic control, but as extortion points where Biafrans challenging the practice are summarily executed by the police in broad daylight, in full sight of hapless onlooker-Biafrans. In no other part of Nigeria does the above prevail whereby the indigenes are so mistreated, and their land so brutally occupied. And yet, in these other places in Nigeria, wherever there is an enclave of Biafrans, or known institutions of Biafrans, they are selectively carved out and receive the same mistreatment Biafrans are subjected to in their Biafra homeland. Nigeria has made itself, by deliberate calculation, a place of no hope for Biafrans; a “no-go area” for Biafrans.

We know you understand this already. We just wanted to remind you of why it is that you want Biafra so much, and why you will do anything—anything, and risk everything—whatever is left—for Biafra. We must actualize Biafra; otherwise, we are already perished. There is nothing outside of Biafra for us; certainly, not Nigeria.

We use this opportunity to call the attention of the Nigeria police Acting Inspector General (IG), Mr. Ehindero, and also call the attention of the rest of Nigeria and the entire World, to ongoing Nigeria police brutality and selective mistreatment of MASSOB and Biafrans. For the IG’s information, on August 25, 2005, less than 1 month ago, Human Rights Watch Report had this to say: "Nigeria: Obasanjo Confirms Torture, Killing by Police" “Statement Must be Followed by Action”; warning that:

“Obasanjo’s recognition of human rights abuses by the police is an important first step. However, addressing the problems of the police requires more than just lip service. It is essential that his words are followed by concrete steps to end police abuses. "

We are placing Ehindero on public notice that he will be held personally and officially responsible for the MASSOB members and other Biafrans killed, injured, arrested, detained, imprisoned, tortured, humiliated and or persecuted by the Nigeria police and the Nigeria SSS—held accountable not just by Biafrans, but by the entire International Community. Mr. Ehindero should note very well that the President of Nigeria, General Obasanjo, from whom he takes orders, has already started taking steps to exonerate himself by such admissions to the Human Rights Watch as quoted above; the blame will now fall squarely on your shoulders, Mr. Ehindero. Unlike Nigeria, the International community has a memory; no one escapes its noose—justice prevails there.

Just as important, we also want to point out that the IG has declared in public that the constitution of Nigeria guarantees peaceful protest, and that the Nigerian police will respect this (for a change!); hence, the NLC-led Mass Protest which is planned to be peaceful, will NOT be stopped or interfered with by the police. Keep in mind that one of the stated goals of the protest is a change in governance. Why, then, would the IG allow such a Mass protest (and we fully support the NLC-led protest, by the way), and then the same IG turn around and order and or allow his police to kill and arrest Biafrans and MASSOB members who are engaged in peaceful MASS protest and who are seeking the same change in governance (which Biafra actualization will accomplish); disrupt  the protest, and charge participants with Treason? What a shameful double standard! What hypocrisy! This is what we have come to expect from Nigeria. Recall that earlier in the year, the then Attorney General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice went on the air to explain why, and support the arrest and charging of MASSOB members attending a soccer tournament with Treason. The Attorney General quickly exonerated OPC and other violent groups seeking their own sovereign nationhoods—groups who were never charged for any crimes at all, in spite of the obvious—but insisted that the non-violence MASSOB was guilty of Treason? We know the pattern of double standard.

Fellow, Biafrans: see the double standard, once again? See the selective injustice meted to Biafrans at every turn? There is only one response left: we must have Biafra. We must push with every ounce of our being to have Biafra, NOW. Turn your angst and indignation, your anger and frustration into a force for Biafra actualization: channel it positively into Biafra actualization.

Biafra alive! For, God makes it so.

That’s the news analysis for the week. Thank you.

God bless and keep Biafra, and you, until our next broadcast. Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues (http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm), now with the summary of the News Analysis in Igbo language.

Ndi Biafra, ekele e o-o!  Anyi e kelee unu.

Nke a wu akuko nke anyi na a kpo News Analysis si na Voice of Biafra International Radio, di na Washington DC, na ala America, na a bia ra unu na abali a.

Na ubochi asaa na onwa itoli na afo ya (September 7, 2005), ndi MASSOB na ndi Biafra mere ngaari-iwe na uzo nke udo na ala Biafra na ile, na na ufodi mba na ime Nigeria, i ji were na a gwa Nigeria na nsogbu na aru ndi SSS na e me MASSOB na onye isi ndi MASSOB, Ralph Uwazurike, a kariala—na o ga a kwusiriri ugbua. Anyi ji kwa otu aka ahu na a gwa ndi Nigeria na anyi kwu ndi MASSOB na onye ndu ha, Ralph Uwazurike,  na azu; na Biafra wu ala anyi, na na Biafra kanyi ga a ga. Otutu ndi mmadu soro gaa ngaari-iwe a na Aba, Asaba, Awka, Calabar, Enugu, Ihiala, Onitsha, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Uyo, Warri, na mba Biafra ndi ozo; na ebe di ka Abuja, Benin na Lagos. Ndi aru ndi police Nigeria gbara ndi mmadu egbe, gbue mmadu ise, meru o ndi ufodu ahu. Ha wu ndi police nwude kwara madu ole-na-ole ndi Biafra, tinye ha na nga maka ngaari-iwe ya.

Anyi na e kele ndi anyi ndi mere ngaari-iwe ya maka ije ha gara nke oma. Ha mere nke oma. O na e wute anyi nke ukwu—obi joro anyi njo—na ndi police Nigeria gbagburu umunne anyi, meru o kwa ufodu na ime anyi ahu, tinye kwa ufodu na nga.maka ngaari-iwe a. Anyi na a rio Chineke ka ya na Onwe Ya mezuoro ndi umu nne anyi a na ile ihe.

Ma na anyi na a do onye isi nde police a na a kpo IG, Ehindero, aka na nti. Ya mara kwa na Obasanjo e kwerela ihe e boro ndi police Nigeria na ogbakoro ndi uwa a na a kpo Human Rigths Watch; ebe ahu, na ubochi August 25 2005, Obasanj jiri onu ya kwu o na ya ma na ndi police Nigeria na egbu ndi mmadu, na e mekwa ndi mmadu aru ojoo, na o nweghi ihe ndi mmadu ndia mere, ma o wu iwu ha dara. Na osisa-okwu ha sara Obasanjo, ha gwara Obasanjo na i kweta ihe e boro ya na ebo wu otu ihe, ma i hu na ndi police Nigeria kwusiri udi ihe di otua wu kwanu ihe ozo, na o wu nke a ka ha ga na e le anya i ji mara ma Obasanjo o mela ka ndi police Nigeria nke di na okpuru Obasanjo, kwusi ihe ojoo na ihe aru na ile ndi police na e me. Ehindero mara kwa na site ugbua gawa na ihu, Obasanjo ga na a go agugo, na e sere aka ya na ihe gbasara ihe ojoo ndi police Nigeria na e me ndi Biafra na ndi MASSOB; o wuzi na isi Ehindero ka ihe ojoo ndi ya dum ga a di. Ulo Ikpe Ukwu ndi Uwa (International Court of Justice) ga a nwude Ehindero, maa ya ikpe o wuru na ndi police ya na e me otu ha si na eme ugbuo.

Anyi na a ju Ehindero ihe mere ka ya jiri si na ngaari-iwe na uzo nke udo ndi NLC ga e me na Nigeria, na o nweghi iwu ndi NLC dara, ma otu ndi police ya na onye isi ha, Ehindero, a na a gbagbu ndi MASSOB na ndi Biafra gara ngaari-iwe—na uzo nke udo kwa—na e tigbu ha, na e tinye ha na nga tutu ha wega ha na ulo ikpe Nigeria na a cho i ma ha ikpe na ha dara iwu ha na a kpo Treason?

Unu ji kwa nke a na e cheta na ndi Biafra e nweghi ndu ma o wu nsopuru na ime Nigeria; naani onwu na nkporo wu ihe diri la ndi Biafra, ihe na e che ha na ime ala Nigeria, oge dum. Kedi zie ebe ozo anyi ga a ga ma o wughi Biafra? E leghi kwanu ihe ozo anyi nwere na a wughi Biafra? Jisie unu ike ka anyi nweta Biafra ngwa-ngwa!

Biafra, ndu gi! Biafra, ndu gi!! Biafra, ndu gi!!!—na ndu anyi kwa. Maka Chineke nonyere la gi—nonyere kwa ra anyi!

Ndewo unu!

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues

 

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
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equivalent to 10.00pm - 11.00pm Biafraland time
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