“Wahala" as Self-Proclaimed Biafran General Declares the Sovereignty of Biafra

Self-proclaimed General Innocent N. ORJI has declared the sovereignty of Biafra inside a bush in an unknown location. The event was marked with the raising of the Biafran flag on a bamboo stick where he also took his oath of office holding on to palm fronds as the Head of State of the Republic of Biafra.

His oath of office had lines that were tweaked from the 10 commandments of the Old Testament of the Bible. What is not clear though is if the sovereignty of Biafra extends outside the bush where the Biafran flag was raised with the heart-touching Biafran anthem as the government of South-Eastern states continues to operate as a Nigerian entity.

Recall that in an undated video that appeared to have been recorded in 2017, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was seen in the company of the self-proclaimed General Innocent N. Orji and his Biafran National Guard.

"People speak highly of you, even those that are not members of Biafra National Guard, they speak very highly of you, they said if you’re outside (the prison) Biafra will come even quicker," Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said in the video. “And the time is now”, show us what you can do”. He concluded.

While the BNG Commander had called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB in a media statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful has distanced itself from the activities of BNG which he termed "criminal".

"IPOB doesn’t share same ideology with any criminal or violent group. We are a peaceful movement seeking the restoration of Biafra republic." Emma Powerful said.

While out of public for a while, the Biafran General has since resumed activities which also included the forceful collection of vehicles and looting of shops and fuel stations in the wake of their activities.

WHO IS INNOCENT ORJI?

In 2007, Innocent Orji was arrested by the Nigerian Police in Onitsha for a case of kidnapping and murder of two Chinese expatriates brought into the country by Innoson Group. The kidnap was orchestrated by suspected members of MASSOB. Innocent Orji served as the ring leader. He received a total of about 20 Million Naira in ransom and still killed the Chinese hostage.

Innocent Orji was made a general commandant in the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) by the then leader of MASSOB, Chief Uwazuruike. They resorted to all forms of violence, robbery and kidnapping to fund their activities. Pius Ogbuawa, now Late, was also implicated as one of their sponsors.

Innocent Orji was jailed alongside his wife, Mrs Onyekachi Orji for 11 years where she gave birth to a baby. She is still currently in Prison, Awka Correctional Centre, Anambra State.

On July 31, 2017, Innocent Orji was acquitted in the case concerning murder and kidnapping having served out his 10-year jail term. He has been with his daughter in the village before his reemergence to the public.

According to reports, Gen. Innocent Orji has always been opposed to MASSOB's non-violence approach and believed that war was inevitable for Biafra to be actualized which led to him breaking out of MASSOB and forming Biafra National Guard (BNG).

There have been reports which have been denied by the DSS, that Innocent Orji was recruited by the DSS & DMI into covert anti-Biafra insurgency operations. The report claimed he was trained, armed and funded as part of the Unknown Gunmen operating in the South East and taking advantage of the opportunities that IPOB has created unknowingly.

This report also claims that Innocent Orji's wife is still being held by DSS in special custody to ensure that Innocent Orji remains under their control.

Some things remain unclear especially with regards to who is funding Biafra National Guard and how they were able to acquire weapons. While DSS and The Nigerian Army have tried to associate the activities of BNG with IPOB, IPOB has also tried to link the activities of BNG to DSS. This has led to both sides denying any involvement.

"All the UGM in the South East, including those that they unleashed on Anambra, are all DSS and DMI operatives controlled and funded by the FGN!

“All the killings and arson in South East, attacks on Police, INEC, assassination of Dr Akunyili and others, burning of houses and markets and crimes against humanity in the South East, are DSS & DMI UGM covert operations. They are also the ones claiming to enforce Sit at Home on Mondays. They have added robbing of markets in South East Villages to their activities. Last week Tuesday they robbed an entire market at Awo-Omamma claiming to be ESN and carted away goods and commodities of poor innocent Biafrans! It’s all DSS & DMI UGM operations.” IPOB said in its statement

In a counter-statement, the Nigerian Army wrote

"It must be abundantly clarified that this spurious allegation is unfounded and could be described as a hoax.

"Their wild allegation that BNG and UGN were an overt operation by the DMI and DSS is not only laughable but remains largely elusive and a ploy to diminish the public support the NA is savouring in the ongoing exercises.”

WHAT NOW?

Now that General Innocent N. Orji has declared the Sovereignty of Biafra in a bush with handful of armed followers, fingers are crossed to see how the Federal Government of Nigeria will handle the situation.

(c) 2021 | George Onyedikachukwu Nnadozie