By Edward Nnachi, ABUJA
Nigeria
The Indigenous People of Biafra, has urged United States President, Joe Biden, not to honour the request of the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to assist Nigeria with its military and weapons.
In a letter titled, “Re:
request for United States military assistance by President Mohammadu Buhari of
Nigeria”, signed by the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, which was made available to
The PUNCH on Saturday evening, the outlawed group claimed Buhari had
made Nigeria the most dangerous country, especially those of the former
Republic of Biafra.
The letter read, “We,
the Indigenous People of Biafra applaud your election as President of the
United States, the most powerful office in the history of the world. We salute
your adept and muscular discharge of presidential duties during your tenure in
the White House.
“Mr President, as you
consider Buhari’s request for military assistance to Nigeria, we respectfully
urge you to also consider the following:
“Buhari has arbitrarily
branded and terrorized the Indigenous People of Biafra, a nonviolent group
pursuing the Independence of the former Republic of Biafra. Mr Buhari’s
draconian measures were geared to retaliating against peaceful demonstrations
favoring the restoration of Biafran independence that was cruelly extinguished
by a genocidal military campaign Buhari partly led between 1967 and 1970.
IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu |
“He has concocted treason charges against IPOB
leader Nnamdi Kanu to crush Biafran self-determination, despite the fact that
self-determination is legal under Nigerian law.
“We respectfully suggest
that you consider, among other things, denying weapons sales or transfers to
Nigeria under the Leahy Amendment; listing Nigeria complicit in persecuting
Christian and Jews under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
“We respectfully urge Mr
President to invoke particularly Section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (FAA), as amended, which prohibits the furnishing of assistance authorised
by the FAA and the Arms Export Control Act to any foreign security force unit
where there is credible information that the unit has committed a gross
violation of human rights.
“In conclusion, we state
categorically that the national interests of the United States lie in
protecting Christians and Jews in Nigeria, defeating radical Islam and
preventing instability in West Africa which will altogether be enhanced by a
US-led diplomatic pressure on the Nigerian government to – as a matter of
urgency – agree to a UN-supervised referendum on Biafran Independence.
“We wish you and your
family many wonderful years in the White House.”
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