Sunday 9 May 2021: The Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), has written the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, urging him to decline selling arms and ammunition to Nigeria.
The secessionist group, according to an online media, made the demand in a letter titled, “Re: Request for United States military assistance by President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria” signed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the separatist movement.
Kanu also demanded for the US president to pressure the Nigerian government to conduct referendum in the former eastern region.
“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,” the letter read. “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 toward retaliating against peaceful demonstrations favouring the restoration of Biafran independence that was cruelly extinguished by a genocidal military campaign Buhari partly led between 1967 and 1970.
“He has concocted treason charges against IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to crush Biafran self-determination, even though 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 authorized by the FAA and the Arms Export Control Act to any foreign security force unit where it 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,” it added.