The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Emma Powerful

  • IPOB: Kanu calls off election boycott

    Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has called off the proposed boycott of elections by his ground in the entire South-East region.

    Kanu said the decision was reached following wide consultations with “stakeholders.”

    Kanu had severally warned that elections would only hold in any part of the zone on the condition of a referendum to determine the sovereignty of Biafra.

    But in a statement on Friday by the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the boycott order was lifted after all terms and conditions were met by “those wishing us to lift the ban on voting.”

    The statement partly reads: “It’s important we notify the world at large and the indefatigable global IPOB family in particular that our supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has called-off the election boycott in Biafraland.

    “After a brief emergency session of the Directorate of State late last night presided over by our leader, it was determined that all our terms and conditions had been met by those wishing us to lift the ban on voting, it was unanimously agreed that the boycott should be lifted.

    “The signed document agreeing to IPOB terms and conditions are in our possession and will be made public in due course.

    “We can, therefore, state with utmost sense of responsibility and pride that IPOB has accomplished what no other people or group has been able to do in the history of our people.

    “Without prejudice, this will go down as the defining moment when the irreversibility of the restoration of Biafra was firmly entrenched in the subconscious of all and sundry.

    “As a result of which we can state categorically that Biafra is a lot closer than we think as a result of this.“

  • IPOB insists on boycott of 2019 polls

    The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday reaffirmed its resolve to boycott next month’s election.

    A statement issued by the group’s media and publicity secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful said the IPOB “ably led by our supreme leader and prophet of our time Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will stand on the decision of election boycott in Biafraland on the 16th of February 2019”.

    The statement insists: “The boycott of presidential election next month will showcase our readiness, determination and seriousness in the pursuit for Biafra freedom and sovereignty.

    “It is important we notify our people mostly politicians, clergymen and women including pastors who strongly believe in rebuilding one Nigeria to retrace their steps because Nigeria Government and it’s leadership has been hijacked by Fulani people.

    “Fulanis are parasites and stranger in Nigeria today but unfortunate that they control over 200 million Indigenous Population because of British support to them.

    “Our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu during his weekly radio Biafra broadcast from the holy land of Israel on Saturday evening reaffirmed strongly to the people and gullible Nigerians who still doubt our stand towards boycotting the forthcoming presidential election next month.

    “It is crystal clear that one of our major lethal weapons to achieve this present Biafra demand is civil disobedience, therefore we urge Biafrans, both home and abroad to advise and caution their families not to vote and totally boycott this coming election no matter the level of promises and inducement politicians of this days might have given them.

    “In few days to come IPOB high command will release a blueprint and how this election boycott will be achieved and it’s benefit to Biafrans, IPOB will evoke high level of civil disobedience next month to make it effective so as Biafrans will realize how much determined we are.

    “Federal Government of Nigeria, South East governors mostly Okezie Ikpeazu, David Umahi and Willie Obiano including Ohaneze Ndigbo led by Nnia Nwodo conspired and brought in operation python dance to frighten our people to trigger panic, apprehension and fear in the minds of Biafrans who believe in Biafra restoration project. IPOB will inevitably bring those governors and few Abuja/Lagos based politicians who believe in serving Hausa Fulani caliphate to account in no distant time.

    Read Also: Ohanaeze, others flay IPOB attacks on Ikpeazu, Umahi

    “It is in the light of this recent distortion, twist and adulterated truth and propaganda against IPOB decision by unscrupulous individuals, groups and politicians in our land that prompted our supreme leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to come on air last week Saturday to state unequivocally without mincing words the position of IPOB in Abia and Ebonyi states gubernatorial elections come next month. Okezie Ikpeazu and David Umahi who unbeknown to most people has donated a portion of our sacred land of Biafra to Miyetti Allah cannot support Operation Python Dance and expect the people not to revolt accordingly. IPOB is at the front of this coming revolution next month.

    “The potency of our agitation for Biafra will be made clear for all to see. We remain unwavering and determined as ever to bring this divine and ordained mission to its successful conclusion.

    “Our freedom is paramount therefore ongoing politically motivated abductions, high levels of humiliation, intimidation, abduction, arrest, massacre and sponsored propaganda against a peaceful group like IPOB will not shake our resolve, instead it will make us stronger.“

  • IPOB challenges Court’s jurisdiction in trial of members

    Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High court, Abuja to continue the trial of four of her members over treasonable felony, saying her counsels have filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection in this regard.

    A statement by comrade Emma Powerful, Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB said the pro Biafra group instructed her lawyers to challenge the court’s jurisdiction and prayed it to strike out the charge of ‘Treasonable Felony’ against the defendants on the grounds of what a prosecution witness said that “agitating for self-determination or secession is not a crime known to any Nigerian Law.”

    Powerful said the Witness, simply identified as AB to hide his true identity, as directed by the presiding judge, is a DSS officer that claimed that he “investigated” Bright Chimezie, one of the defendants, after he was arrested by the DSS at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    He said led in evidence by prosecution counsel, the witness also testified that Mr. Chimezie was an IPOB ‘Welfare Officer in charge of giving money donated by IPOB members to assist widows of IPOB members killed by security agents during their demonstrations on self-determination’, adding that “IPOB was not an illegal group and belonging to it was not illegal when Chimezie was arrested”.

    The IPOB publicity secretary said it was as a result of the testimony of the prosecution witness that the group’s lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the court and the striking out of the case since what the defendants were arrested for and are being tried is not a crime known to any Nigerian Law.

    “If according to the government witness, IPOB was not an illegal group when Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in October 2015, why then is the trial going ahead?  Or is it because of the irrational fear of the success that Biafra will become or the morbid Hausa/Fulani hatred for IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu. Justice Binta Nyako must as a matter of public decency dismiss the frivolous charges, acquit the defendants and apologise to IPOB on behalf of the Nigerian judiciary.

    We the worldwide family of the Indigenous People of Biafra wishes to draw the attention of the civilized world to what transpired at Justice Binta Nyako’s court in Abuja on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at the commencement of the trial of four innocent Biafrans. The world must know that they are standing trial for offences not known to any law in Nigeria.

    The four IPOB family members standing trial have been in illegal detention for nearly three years, with proper trial only commencing now on March 22, 2018. Thankfully and for the first time in public, the key witness for the Federal Government of Nigeria admitted in court that being a member of IPOB was not a crime when the defendants were arrested”, the statement said.

    It will be recalled that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB who has been missing since the Nigeria army attacked his home, was also arrested for the same offence as the others who are being presently tried.

  • Proscription: Court’s judgment wicked, reckless – IPOB

    Proscription: Court’s judgment wicked, reckless – IPOB

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday described judgement of the federal High Court, Abuja, which upheld its proscription as wicked and reckless.

    The Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice, Abdul Kafarati, on Thursday upheld IPOB’s proscription and classification as a terror group.

    IPOB, in a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Powerful, in Awka, Anambra State, condemned the court’s judgement.

    Powerful said IPOB was a peaceful and legal organisation registered in over 88 countries across the world.

    He said: “The upholding of this obnoxious order proscribing the activities of IPOB, when everybody knows that the organisation is peaceful and has not killed an ant, talk less of taking a human life is nothing short of judicial impunity, recklessness and raw wickedness.

    “Simply put, a judge cannot be ignorant of the law and at the same time lacking in conscience.

    “What Abdul-Kafarati has displayed, by upholding his originally flawed judgement is raw wickedness.

    “He failed to address all the issues before him but rather chose to be selective.

    “The simple question which ordinary people have been asking all along is this; what activity or aspect of IPOB operations can be regarded as constituting a terrorist act?

    “Can Abdul-Kafarati, the DSS or Attorney General’s office name one verifiable incident of breach of peace, murder, arson or rape- usually associated with their fellow Fulani herdsmen- that IPOB has ever been associated with?

     

  • IPOB alleges kidnapping of members by DSS

    IPOB alleges kidnapping of members by DSS

    The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) has raised an alarm over the incessant kidnappings of their members across the Eastern part of the country.

    The alarm was raised by the Emma Powerful, the media and publicity secretary of the group who said the group’s newly appointed Africa Representative and member of the Directorate of State (DOS) Mr George Onyeibe from Agbor Delta State has been kidnapped from his house by men suspected to be DSS men.

    Powerful alleged that the suspected DSS men ransacked his house, molested his wife and rough-handled his children during the kidnap according to a neighbour who observed the incident.

    The statement reads, “It is deeply worrying that this APC Government, through her security agencies especially the DSS, have renewed their clampdown on innocent family members of IPOB just because we are exercising our God given right to self determination”.

    “It is very pathetic that the Nigeria Government and her security agencies are completely ignorant or failed to read the declaration made by Federal High court Abuja on the 6th of March 2017 concerning the legality of IPOB.

    “The newly appointed Africa representative Mr. George Onyeibe’s whereabout is now unknown to his people and IPOB members. For the avoidance of doubt, all his electronic gadgets and properties were either seized or destroyed by the DSS operatives who lunched the attack on him around 2am on the morning of 22 April 2017 in his house in Obiakpor Rivers State.

    “Our intelligence unit have also uncovered meetings held in Abuja by the DSS where they perfected plans to secretly eliminate any IPOB member they lay their hands on.

    “We are also aware that our members have been executed in cold blood by this murderous and tyrannical Government of APC led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari through his DSS. They have cleverly devised s system of killing any IPOB member arrested on the way to before they reach their dungeon.

    “We are calling on the community civilised nations within the UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the US Government, European Union, African Union, men and women of good conscience around the world.

    “Russia Government and other relevant Human Rights Organizations around the globe to prevail upon the Nigerian Government and her security agencies especially the DSS to release our African Representative George Onyeibe and others, or charge them to court if they are still alive,” Powerful stated.