From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), under the leadership of Uchenna Madu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu on May 30, to commemorate the Biafra Day which falls on that date.
A statement by Edeson Samuel, national director of information, said: “The voluntary sit-at-home is our annual exercise to honour and remember our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters that were massacred and who sacrificed their existence for Biafra.”
The statement added that May 30 (Biafra Day) sacrosanct, noting that observation of the 58th anniversary of Biafra declaration by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on May 30, 1967, would be made merrier should President Tinubu release Kanu on that day.
“May 30, 2025 is a national day of introspection and self examination for the people of Biafra after 58 years of forceful and deceitful actions of General Gowon popularly known as reintegration, reconciliation and rehabilitation (3Rs).
“The successive governments of Nigeria have continuously pushed the people of Biafra into subjective slavery and politically motivated denial of infrastructure, economic, academic and social development.
“MASSOB reiterates our demand for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other pro Biafra agitators detained across Nigeria.”
The pro-Biafra group noted with dismay that South East was excluded from the Nigeria Student Loan, adding that “JAMB recently consciously and systematically frustrated the high average examination score of Southeastern students.
“There is no working seaport in the South East zone. No South East person among the senior officials of Nigeria National Petroleum Company, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigeria Customs Service.
“Currently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has closed the Enugu International Airport and the railway transportation service in the South East zone is not working.
MASSOB condemned the heavy presence of military and police checkpoints across the South East.