Friday, July 28, 2017,
obviously started like all previous Fridays of this year, but what
eventually played out in Owerri, made the difference.
Ahead of this date, some hawkers were seen selling varying shapes and sizes of Biafran insignias along the major streets of Owerri, including Douglas, Wetheral and Tetlow roads. So many commercial tricycle, motorcycle and vehicles mounted the Biafran flag,while the operators spoted T-shirts, bangles, ties and caps with Biafran colours. This became a fashion of sorts in Imo. Then came the Friday. Movement of people into Owerri increased. Several vehicles, conveying loyalists of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, started pouring into Owerri. Others living in the adjoining Egbu, Uratta, Amakohia, Nekede, World Bank Housing Estate, Irete and Obinze, sang Biafra solidarity songs as they marched into Owerri municipality. The ensuing movement in all directions evoked serious apprehension but at about 8am, news of the visit of the protagonist of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, spread like wildfire. Some traders, who were not too sure of the outcome of Kanu’s visit, decided to close shop and watch events from a distance. Vehicular movement became a serious problem. It took hours to move from point A to B in Owerri and while the event lasted. The traffic build up became very intense. South East Voice even noticed at Onitsha Road that IPOB loyalists, whose vehicles ground to a halt, alighted from their buses and trekked into Owerri. Although, there was no reported case of confrontation with any of the security agencies or arrests while the peaceful march lasted, the state Police Command, however, took preemptive measures to make sure that hoodlums did not exploit the situation to unleash mayhem in the municipality or anywhere within the area of jurisdiction. The peaceful procession kicked off from all corners of the municipality and ended at Warehouse/Orlu Road roundabout, where the mammoth crowd was addressed by their idol, Nnamdi Kanu. He tackled some traditional rulers in Igboland, he alleged had been paid handsomely to denounce Biafra, pointing out that “they are now going about talking against our struggle for the actualization of the Republic of Biafra. “I want to tell them that Biafra is very close and I want you people (the audience) to prove this to them, by not voting in the coming elections in Anambra State”, Kanu said. According to the IPOB leader, “we are in the land of Biafra and I have come to Owerri to spread the good news of the coming of Biafra Republic”. He told the cheering crowd that he didn’t want Ndigbo to be deceived, stressing that restructuring does not have any meaning in the Igbo circumstance in Nigeria. “I want you people to go and tell Ohaneze Ndigbo what I have said. There is no freedom in Nigeria. The children of most Nigeria leaders are studying abroad and enjoying good environment. Only referendum can solve Nigeria’s problems. Power devolution is not the solution. Resource control is not our problem. What we need is Biafra”, Kanu said. He lashed out at those he claimed were going about and deceiving Ndigbo in the name of restructuring. “I want to say it again that there will be no election in Anambra State and there will be no election in 2019, in Igboland, including Imo State,” Kanu told his loyalists. Directing his canon fire on Governor Rochas Okorocha, the IPOB leader said people should go and the Governor that he (Kanu) is a child of God. “Go and tell him that he must leave Government House, Owerri, in 2019, and go back to Jos where he came from. He has deceived Imo people enough and no stooge of his will smell the Government House again”, Kanu said. Owerri only bounced back to life when IPOB loyalists left the town in the evening.
Ahead of this date, some hawkers were seen selling varying shapes and sizes of Biafran insignias along the major streets of Owerri, including Douglas, Wetheral and Tetlow roads. So many commercial tricycle, motorcycle and vehicles mounted the Biafran flag,while the operators spoted T-shirts, bangles, ties and caps with Biafran colours. This became a fashion of sorts in Imo. Then came the Friday. Movement of people into Owerri increased. Several vehicles, conveying loyalists of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, started pouring into Owerri. Others living in the adjoining Egbu, Uratta, Amakohia, Nekede, World Bank Housing Estate, Irete and Obinze, sang Biafra solidarity songs as they marched into Owerri municipality. The ensuing movement in all directions evoked serious apprehension but at about 8am, news of the visit of the protagonist of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, spread like wildfire. Some traders, who were not too sure of the outcome of Kanu’s visit, decided to close shop and watch events from a distance. Vehicular movement became a serious problem. It took hours to move from point A to B in Owerri and while the event lasted. The traffic build up became very intense. South East Voice even noticed at Onitsha Road that IPOB loyalists, whose vehicles ground to a halt, alighted from their buses and trekked into Owerri. Although, there was no reported case of confrontation with any of the security agencies or arrests while the peaceful march lasted, the state Police Command, however, took preemptive measures to make sure that hoodlums did not exploit the situation to unleash mayhem in the municipality or anywhere within the area of jurisdiction. The peaceful procession kicked off from all corners of the municipality and ended at Warehouse/Orlu Road roundabout, where the mammoth crowd was addressed by their idol, Nnamdi Kanu. He tackled some traditional rulers in Igboland, he alleged had been paid handsomely to denounce Biafra, pointing out that “they are now going about talking against our struggle for the actualization of the Republic of Biafra. “I want to tell them that Biafra is very close and I want you people (the audience) to prove this to them, by not voting in the coming elections in Anambra State”, Kanu said. According to the IPOB leader, “we are in the land of Biafra and I have come to Owerri to spread the good news of the coming of Biafra Republic”. He told the cheering crowd that he didn’t want Ndigbo to be deceived, stressing that restructuring does not have any meaning in the Igbo circumstance in Nigeria. “I want you people to go and tell Ohaneze Ndigbo what I have said. There is no freedom in Nigeria. The children of most Nigeria leaders are studying abroad and enjoying good environment. Only referendum can solve Nigeria’s problems. Power devolution is not the solution. Resource control is not our problem. What we need is Biafra”, Kanu said. He lashed out at those he claimed were going about and deceiving Ndigbo in the name of restructuring. “I want to say it again that there will be no election in Anambra State and there will be no election in 2019, in Igboland, including Imo State,” Kanu told his loyalists. Directing his canon fire on Governor Rochas Okorocha, the IPOB leader said people should go and the Governor that he (Kanu) is a child of God. “Go and tell him that he must leave Government House, Owerri, in 2019, and go back to Jos where he came from. He has deceived Imo people enough and no stooge of his will smell the Government House again”, Kanu said. Owerri only bounced back to life when IPOB loyalists left the town in the evening.
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