A pro-Biafran secession group,The Biafra Zionists Federation (BZF), today charged Igbos across the federation to boycott the general elections slated to hold on March 28 and April 11, 2015 across Nigeria.
This they say is suggested to show solidarity with 11 members of the BZF, including the leader, Ben Onwuka, who were arrested during an attempt to declare the secession of the Republic of Biafra from the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the studio of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service on June 5, 2014.
Specifically, Onwuka and the 10 members of the BZF are currently being held in prison consequent upon the treason charge slammed on them by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The pro-Biafra movement also indicated anger that a Federal High Court, sitting in Enugu, had on February 19 refused to grant bail to Onwuka and the others.
BZF National Chairman, Cyril Onyia, at a news conference in Enugu State, charged all the entire people of the South-East to boycott the election as a show of solidarity with the detained activists, who were in custody because they were fighting for the liberation of all Igbos.
According to Onyia, "Any harm done to the detained pro-Biafra secessionists is a harm done to all Igbos. They (arrested BZF members) have been in prison custody not because they are pursuing a selfish cause but for the singular reason that they are demanding the liberation of Ndigbo.
"To this end, we urge all worthy Igbo sons and daughters not to participate in the forthcoming elections – this is the only honour they should do to these great patriots.
"It is indeed very surprising that the court refused them bail on the grounds that they may cause security breach within this period.
"It is surprising because the BZF does not believe in violence, neither does it associate with any violent group. We can never disrupt any election, even though we shall abstain from voting.
"So, we are calling on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and see that these harmless freedom fighters are released. In our fight for freedom, we have never and will never take up arms against the state. Everything we are doing is within the ambit of all international laws and treaties."
Photo credit: theeagleonline
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