The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has defended a Nigerian-born American academic Uju Anya over her controversial remarks on the late Queen Elizabeth.
Anya had wished the queen “excruciating pain” in her last moments for allegedly sponsoring the “genocide” which Anya said displaced her family, referring to the Nigerian/Biafran War.
Anya got knocks for her comments but she insisted she had nothing but disdain for the late monarch, and would offer no apology.
The IPOB, in a statement on Thursday by its spokesman Emma Powerful, said Anya’s views on the late queen and the British government represented the opinion of over 98 percent of people in the south-east.
The statement reads: “British Government and her allies under the leadership of Queen Elizabeth supplied military equipment and manpower to Nigeria to wipe out Biafrans. They used their propaganda media BBC to label Biafrans rebels and prevented any assistance to Biafrans.
“As a result many Biafran lives were wasted including the family members of Prof Uju. The world should know that, Biafrans both young and old will not forgive the late Queen and the British people especially the politicians unless the British Government allows Biaran to regain their Sovereignty through Referendum.”
The group added, “Biafrans doesn’t rejoice over the death of anybody neither do we mourn the death of evil doers especially murderers. Queen of England committed much atrocities against humanity and God Almighty. Queen was a mass murderer, hence Chukwu Okike Abiama and our ancestors forbids us from mourning such a person or persons.
“Prof Uju Anya has an indomitable Igbo spirit. She expressed anger that is hidden on all Biafrans especially Igbos who lost so much to the war levied and still being levied on us by the same people we shared same country.
“Dear Prof Uju Anya, we thank you for showing the world our resilience and determination to fight for justice and to get justice.”
The group denied any knowledge of Anya until her viral comments on Twitter, insisting that what was certain was that the pain and scar occasioned by the killings during the war lives with the Igbo.
“Those accusing Prof Uju Anya as being an IPOB member or financier are just using that to intimidate and blackmail her. IPOB don’t know who she was until this moment and anybody or group threatening her is playing with fire. Moreover, IPOB don’t have secret members nor secret financiers, we are IPOB and we fund our movement.
“We expect Prof Anya to stand her ground without giving attention to Nigeria and those blackmailers who intimidate some influential Igbo so that they can publicly bring IPOB to submission. We have seen all and IPOB is still marching forward,” the statement said.
