IPOB press statement: To Nigerian News Editors

17^th August 2017

The Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra under the leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has deemed it expedient to draw the attention of all Newspaper Editor in Nigeria and the world at large of a deliberate trend to misrepresent facts as it concerns the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The Directorate therefore considers it very imperative to address this letter to Editors of all Media Houses in Nigeria to set the records straight.

Let me begin with the agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for Self-determination. Please take note that Self-Determination is an inalienable right of all Indigenous People and that includes the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The United Nations chatter not only guaranteed Indigenous People the right to Self-determination but also an immutable right to determine their cultural, economic and political system. We derive therefore the authority for our agitation on universally recognized and binding legal instruments such as United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous peoples to Self-Determination and Articles V, VI, VII and XII of the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights (ratified and domesticated by Nigeria in 1983. From the foregoing it is very apparent that Self-determination does not in any manner or form equate to a declaration of war on the Nigerian state but simply a legitimate and universally recognized and guaranteed right at the disposal of all Indigenous people to pursue.

Secondly the demand by the Indigenous People of Biafra for Referendum rather than being vilified for adopting a non violent avenue in our pursuit of Self-determination right should be commended for choosing a universally recognized and accepted methodology of dispute resolution.

Finally the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has never clashed with the Nigerian security apparatus in all our activities be it prayer gathering in school fields or spreading the message of Biafra on the streets of Biafraland. It is essential therefore to once again remind Nigerian News Editors that IPOB is a non violent movement of the Biafran people. The constant use of the word clash each time innocent unarmed Biafrans are killed is unacceptable to us. Just yesterday the 16^th of August 2017 unarmed IPOB family members were attacked by a combined force of Nigerian army and Police in Ekwuluobia Anambra state without provocation as they have been doing since 2015 resulting in the death of at least one person and many injured. In reporting this incident the word ‘clash’ was again used. This is misleading and an affront to the ethics of journalism. It is our considered view that Editors have the responsibility and the duty to report accurately what transpired each time innocent civilian lives are wasted by trigger happy security agencies. The Directorate of state of the Indigenous People of Biafra states categorically and unequivocally that there was no clash between the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Nigerian security agencies in Ekwuluobia yesterday. In fact there has never been any clash between IPOB and the security agencies not even with our bare hands because we are a non violent peaceful movement and do not bear arms.

This penchant bordering on mischief to always present the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as confrontational and thereby giving the impression that they often clash with security agencies each time innocent and unarmed Biafrans gather peacefully in the exercise of their fundamental right to freedom of association and of assembly strengthens the hands of the security agencies to continue in their impunity. It seems to us that Newspaper editors in Nigeria have made a deliberate and conscious decision to abet the human rights violations and crimes against humanity being constantly perpetrated by the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police and the Nigerian secret police (SSS) against the non violent movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra peacefully exercising their right to self-determination.

We use this medium to draw your attention and that of the International community that the style of news reportage by Nigerian print and electronic media as well as the quality of journalism in Nigeria is geared towards aiding and abetting extra judicial killings of unarmed innocent civilians in Nigeria. The world must hold Nigerian news Editors responsible for this aberration and regard them as accessory to human rights violations and crimes against humanity being committed against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Signed

Mazi Chika Edoziem

Head Directorate of state

Indigenous People of Biafra