David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

The Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra (CGIPOB) has dragged the Federal Government of Nigeria to court with the Attorney-General of the Federation, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo as defendants on issues relating to self-determination, roles they played during and after the Biafra-Nigeria civil war, among others.

The CGIPOB represented by Barrister Emeka Adolf Emekesiri through its ex parte application filed on June 20, 2019, sought the court’s leave and jurisdiction to commence an action against the defendants.

In an originating summons in the lawsuit marked PHC/EN/CS/ 103/2019, the plaintiffs are praying the court to determine whether the direction or the instruction given to members of the claimants by President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 5, 2016 on Al Jazeera Television that they should organize themselves and vote to have a state within a state which they have accepted and complied with by organizing themselves has created an obligation on the defendants from which they can no longer withdraw.

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Lawyer of the plaintiffs also asked the court to determine whether the plaintiffs now have the right to conduct their referendum and vote to have their state of Biafra as a self-governing autonomous region within the Nigerian state like Scotland in the United Kingdom.

“The court should determine whether, notwithstanding and in the absence of any direction, instruction, promise or offer from the defendants, the members have the inalienable right to self-determination pursuant to Article 19-25 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” the defendants said. Also, the defendants sought to know whether it was an offence and unlawful contrary to any provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 or of any other law whatsoever for the remnants of the Biafra’s who survived the war with their descendants to identify themselves as Biafrans.

The defendants sought to be known by indigenous, identify and display their native flags and emblems as well as Biafra trademarks. It is their hope to do so while remaining loyal to the Government of Nigeria. They want as well the court to determine whether it is lawful for the defendants to harass, molest, arrest and detain members of the claimants for identifying themselves as Biafra’s with their native emblems, among other things.