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Due to time constraints and the large number of press releases that we receive each day, BiafraNigeriaWorld encourages all groups based in North America, Europe, Australia, and most parts of Asia to post their own press releases in this forum. We have made exceptions for groups based in Africa and South America because those groups are more likely to be limited in their access to the Internet.

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Shall Umuigbo and the good people of the World allow MASSOB Leaders to die in the hands of Obasanjo ?

Uwazurike/Okwukwu Freedom Campaign – UOFC
Treasonable Truth?

- By Rev. Fr. Emefiena Ezeani - London, U.K

I have, as most of you have, followed the story of Uwazurike, Okwukwu and some others and the state of Nigeria, but let us first refresh our memory:

For decades, Christians, Southerners and especially the Igbo have been repeatedly set upon and murdered in their tens of thousands by Northern Nigerian Moslems. It is now almost an annual (sometimes monthly) ritual in the Moslem North to burn churches, Christian owned businesses and to murder Christians. Let us look at some of the reasons.

(1) When angry about scarcity of some commodities in the markets in Nigeria, Northern Moslems of Nigeria would kill hundreds or thousands of Eastern Christians of Nigeria, and mostly the Igbo (started in the 40s);

(2) When America bombs Iraq, Northern Moslems of Nigeria would kill hundreds or thousands of Eastern Christians of Nigeria, and mostly the Igbo. What have the Igbo got to do with the war in Iraq, for instance?

(3) When the world wants to stage a Beauty Contest in Nigeria, Northern Moslems of Nigeria would kill hundreds or thousands of Eastern Christians of Nigeria, and mostly the Igbo;

(4) When Israel avenges Palestinian suicide bombing of Israelis, Northern Moslems of Nigeria would kill hundreds or thousands of Eastern Christians of Nigeria, and mostly the Igbo;

(5) When Salman Rushdie, a Moslem and a non-African, writes Satanic Verses Northern Moslems of Nigeria would kill hundreds or thousands of Eastern Christians of Nigeria, and mostly the Igbo;

(6) When somebody from Denmark in Europe draws a cartoon of Mohammed, Moslems of Nigeria (who did not even see the cartoon) would kill hundreds or thousands of Christians, and mostly the Igbo; etc.

In almost all these unprovoked massacres whole families are wiped out. In the most recent incident in relation to the cartoon of Mohammed, a report has it that more than 25 Igbo families (fathers, mothers and their children) were, as usual, wiped out in one area alone in the North. Hundreds were slaughtered elsewhere. And the Nigerian government has, as usual, done
nothing. This is ONE NIGERIA! I sometimes ask myself: 'What actually do the Northern Nigerian Moslems and/or the Nigerian government want from the people of the South East of Nigeria?'

The world speaks of terrorism today, but the Igbo and other people from the South East of Nigeria have known terrorism in Northern Nigeria since 1945.
Besides the 2 million dead in the Biafran war of self-determination, the Igbo alone may have lost over 100,000 people to Northern Nigerian Moslems' knives, guns, grenades, fire bombs, cudgels and stones.

In addition to the never ending cycle of murder of the Igbo; the Ijaw, the Efik, the Ogoni, the Ibibio and many others in the South East of Nigeria face other hazards of existence in Nigeria. Let us not forget the economic and political marginalisation of the South East or the fact that about 90% of Nigerian wealth comes from the Niger Delta oil wells. Let us not forget
the unwritten policy of strangulation of the people of South East of Nigeria by different Nigerian governments. Let us face the fact: The amount of discrimination and persecution meted out to some people in Nigeria because of their ethnicity is unimaginable.

Bewildered by all these unexplainable injustice, violence and constant massacres of their people, Uwazurike and other people like him get up and make sensible demands such as: Since you do not want to accept us (Easterners or the Igbo) to be part of Nigeria with our lives guaranteed,
let us go our own way. For this he and Okwukwu and others have been charged with treasonable felony.

It is as clear as day light that the South Eastern Nigeria or the Igbo are not accepted in Nigeria. At the same time, they are not allowed to leave Nigeria in peace. Those who have the courage to say, are not even permitted to say, they are tired of Nigeria and so would like to paddle their own
canoe. Where is the Democracy? Where is the freedom of _expression?

Moreover, are we honestly convinced that those who have the religious belief that killing the infidels for whatever reason will gain them Paradise and those who have the contrary belief; that is, killing is a mortal sin that would lead them to the Hell fire, will ever live in unity and peace?

I am aware that Uwazurike has been waging a campaign of NON-VIOLENCE. I may not be a believer in his political philosophy but I accept he has the right to hold any political belief as Obasanjo or any other person has and that he has also the right to demand for self determination from a system that is seen to make him and his people nothing more than perpetual slaves. People everywhere have the right to say Yes or No to any form of partnership. Uwazurike, Uche Okwukwu and any other person have the primary freedom to say they want or they do not want to be part of Nigeria-partnership. This is not a treasonable offence but rather their democratic right. Again, Okwukwu, as a lawyer acting for his client, is obliged to maintain the professional
lawyer-client confidentiality. But the Nigerian government calls all this treason!

May the Nigerian government tell the world about how much money Uwazurike controls and where he keeps the weaponry with which to wage war against the Nigerian government, as the government claim.

I was in Abacha regime's Security Agents' list because of Obasanjo and Ken Saro-Wiwa. I am sad that today Obasanjo-government is doing to people who work for justice and freedom what Abach-government did to him and others.

I am therefore calling on all men and women of goodwill everywhere to investigate the case of UWAZURIKE and OKWUKWU and say NO to the oppressive hands of the Nigerian government. I also call upon the Christian Churches in Nigeria and elsewhere to get up and speak out in accord with the Gospel they preach. Let all Christians and their leaders note that they have been given the Spirit of the Lord and have been anointed to to preach Good News to the
poor . to proclaim release to the Captives, recovery of sight to the Blind and to set at liberty those who are Oppressed (Lk. 4:18-19). Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mtt.5:10).

'The man dies in all who keep silence in the face of tyranny,' so says Soyinka and rightly too.

I ask myself - who has to support the brave people in Nigeria when their own people abroad do not do it? - A German.

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Subject: Lawyer Calls For Uwazuruikes Release.
The Federal government and its agencies have been called upon to release the detained leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

Speaking with newsmen in Owerri, Chief Uche Onyeagocha, a lawyer, said that under the 1999 Constitution, Uwazuruike and other detained MASSOB members had committed no offence and that this was responsible for the inability of the authorities to make any headway in putting then on trial.

He said that the mayhem at Onitsha, Anambra State, during which traders and innocent citizens were killed, could have been averted, if the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, had done his homework well.

According to him, the merger between MASSOB and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is very thin and that no serious member of the party can say categorically that he, or she, has no link with the movement.

He maintained that it is this merger between MASSOB and APGA that is responsible for the fears expressed by people and that the governor had all its takes as an APGA member to call the movement to order at Onitsha, rather than inviting the soldiers who shot to kill.

"If I hear that MASSOB has taken over any place in Owerri, I do not need to go there. All I need do is make some phone calls and the people will leave the place. This is what the governor should have done. But he did not do it."

"I hold Governor Peter Obi responsible for the mayhem at Onitsha because he had no reason to call in the army. All he had to do was to ask the MASSOB people to leave the place and they would gladly listen to him."

Onyeagocha said he had printed and circulated handbills and used other avenues, including phone calls, to authorities to convince the people on the need to release Uwazuruike so that he could carry on with his life.

He explained that the hoisting of the Biafran flags and exchange of the Biafran currency did not constitute an offence under the 1999 Constitution and that keeping him in detention was an offence. "I have studied the book (1999 Constitution) extensively and I know it.

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Good for you, Mazi (Attorney) Onyeagocha, for calling for the release of MASSOB members and the MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazurike.

Mazi Onyeagocha has consistently demonstrated that he knows what is right from wrong, and has always spoken correctly, even though he is right there in the midst of the horrible SSS and murderous Nigeria Police and other violent Nigerian agents. The SSS have detained him at least once, but he has always stood his ground.

This is the example we are calling on all Igbo and all Biafrans to emulate. This is the Igbo / Biafran Spirit which Nigeria is so afraid of, and which Nigeria wants to extirpate at all costs. And, it will cost Nigeria all it has, yet, Biafra lives on to greater glories.

Thank you, Mazi Onyeagocha. Biafra thanks you. We trust our people will be inspired by your stance.

Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
Nwa Biafra
A Biafran Citizen

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