Court determines suit between Nigeria, Biafra on Sept 22

The Supreme Coun­cil of Elders of In­digenous People of Biafra, has dissoci­ated itself from the brains behind Radio Biafra and their operations, which it said were inciting, bel­ligerent and full of hate speeches. We have no busi­ness with any group or individual not operating under our customary laws and in obedience to the laws of Nigeria”, It stated.

In a statement signed by its Deputy chairman, Dr Dozie Ikedife, the pro-Bi­afra group said that the pres­sure group did not believe in threat or wars, illegality, insults and abuse of indi­viduals or groups in pursuit of self-determination for in­digenous people anywhere.

READ: Nigeria “arrests Radio Biafra operators, seizes transmission equipment

“The leadership of the indigenous people of Biafra under the customary laws and in obedience to the laws of Nigeria do not subscribe to violence, rough or abu­sive language. We know that the law has created a wide window, indeed a door, for actualising self determina­tion for indigenous people not just of Biafra but for any other indigenous group.” Dr Ikedife said.

Meanwhile, September 22, 2015, has been fixed for the next hearing of the suit against Nigeria by the Supreme Council of Elders of the Indigenous People of Biafra using its legal arm, Bilie Human Right Initia­tive at the Federal High Court, Owerri.

In suit no FHC/OW/ CS/192/2013, the Bilie Hu­man Rights Initiative rep­resenting the Indigenous People of Biafra, who are indigenes of the South East geo-political zone of Nigeria, parts of South South and the Middle Belt zones, as claimants and Federal Republic of Nige­ria, Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants, according to the originating summons, sought to en­force their right to self-de­termination pursuant to Ar­ticles 19 -25 of the African Charter on Human and Peo­ples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, and to re­dress all wrongs occasioned on them by the defendants. As a result, the claimants are praying for the determi­nation by the court whether the Indigenous People of Bi­afra, who are the remnants that were not consumed in the Nigeria-Biafra war of 1967 –1970, have the right of self-determination pursu­ant to Articles 19 –25 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

READ: NIGERIA NEEDS SACRIFICE AND PATRIOTISM TO SUCCEED, SAYS BUHARIThe summons also sought the determination by the court whether the claimants who identified themselves as Biafrans by indigenous identity were committing any offence by doing so contrary to any provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nige­ria 1999 or contrary to any provision of the Criminal Code and whether it is a crime under any national or international law to mention the name of Biafra or for the remnants of the Indigenous People of Biafra who were not consumed by the war to maintain their indigenous identity as Biafrans with their native emblems and symbols as they do now even though they are Ni­gerians by citizenship and nationality laws; and if the answer is in the negative, whether the defendants are justified to arrest, shoot and kill the children of the claimants for identifying themselves as Biafrans.