The Founder, Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Prof. Ralph Uwazuruike, has thrown his weight behind the decision of Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, to reinforce the ban on the activities of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
Uwazuruike, in an online interview monitored on YouTube, described Wike’s move as commendable and asked other Governors in the Southeast to toe a similar path.
The MASSOB leader, known to have criticised some decisions reached in the past by Wike especially during the enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols, said recent actions of IPOB and utterances of Nnamdi Kanu, were proofs that it is a terrorist group.
He said: “I was going through the internet and I saw that my friend Nyesom Wike did broadcast where he reinforced the classication of IPOB as a terrorist group.
“I am in support of Wike in this. It is a good thing Wike did and I am asking the Southeast governors to also reinforce the classification of IPOB as a terrorist group.
“The other day I was speaking to the World Igbo Congress Europe and I told them that someone says he is not a terrorist group and you are killing people, asking people to kill soldiers, policemen, burn houses and kill the leader of Ohaneze Ndiigbo. What are you then? IPOB has shown that they are a terrorist group and they should be dealt with as a terrorist group.
“It is important for the governors to strengthen the classification of IPOB as a terrorist group and stop their activities in Igbo land as Nyesom Wike has started. I want the Yoruba people to know that someone as low as Kanu cannot speak for us”.
Uwazuruike insisted Kanu was fighting for his selfish interest and not for the realisation of Biafra and recalled how he founded the Radio Biafra and brought Kanu in London to manage the station.
But he said Kanu betrayed the struggle when he was recruited by the secret service to work for the Federal Government and derail the activities of MASSOB.
He said: “If IPOB is fighting for Biafra, I should be the happiest for it cause they are helping in facilitating the realisation of Biafra.
“Not many people know how Nnamdi Kanu came into the picture. Not many people knew that Nnamdi KANU was picked up by me in 2009.
“Not many people knew that I went to London and opened Radio Biafra London. Not many people knew at what stage the DSS came in and snatched Nnamdi Kanu from me. KANU was not the only person DSS took away from me to do a yeoman job for them.
“The first was one Ambrose Anyaso who was detained with me. They called him out and promised him heaven and earth to work against me to bring the struggle down. He agreed with them cause two of us were detained at underground facility in Abuja for six months.
“When he came out Anyaso told me everything but said he would not do that. The next person they approached was Arinze Igbani, they all refused because they were my loyal colleagues. When I opened Radio Biafra in London, they approached him (Kanu).
“I knew when Nnamdi Kanu went to Abuja from London. Since then he started working for them. Not many of his members know that Nnamdi Kanu is not working for Biafra.
“They don’t know. Those that are harassing people and insulting me don’t know that their so-called supreme leader is not working for them. But one day, the truth will come out”.
Uwazuruike said he was disturbed that many youths in Igbo land had been mowed down in their prime because of the activities of Kanu.
He said the IPOB leader was using the youths to attack the Federal Government because he had fallen out with the government insisting that he was on a mission to instigate riots to destabilise the country.
The MASSOB leader also condemned the destruction of properties and the invasion of the Oba’s palace in Lagos but sword that no Igbo person was involved in the mayhem as claimed by Kanu.
He asked the governors of the Southwest to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to unmask the identities of persons behind the dastardly act adding that Kanu was too small to speak for the Igbo.
“He is an agent and not many people know. What bothers me is what he talks about, things he knows that he cannot do. He wants to instigate riots, destabilisation. He was never part of the #EndSARS but he came to take over like he took over my radio Biafra London.
“He wasn’t the person who formed IPOB. The founders contacted him to propagate the ideals of IPOB using the Radio Biafra but KANU took over the platform.
“He saw that the organisers of #EndSARS were making impact, he came to hijack it. Now he is talking about revolution for Nigerian youths. It means he has abandoned Biafra. He is now working for Nigeria. People should understand.
“How can Nnamdi Kanu speak for Igbo? It is a very big insult to our sensibility for any Yoruba man to think that Kanu is speaking for Igbo.
“The governors in the west should set up a judicial commission of inquiry to determine the culpability of Igbo’s in such an unruly act.
“I can swear that no Igbo man will ever do that. The Igbo tribe strives to make its money through their sweat. We cannot strive to destroy another person’s property. An Igbo man cannot abandon his shop to enter Oba’s palace or burn people property”.