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| Kemi Olunloyo and Biafran agitators. |
Probably when Biafrans calling for the release of their leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu created the slogan 'Biafra Or Death', they never knew it could be effective someday.
Since the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on the 14th of October, 2015, the agitation for the creation of Biafra Republic has gathered momentum.
Biafrans all over the world reacted promptly to his arrest with series of peaceful protests in a bid to hasten the freedom their leader.
While IPOB worldwide protested without creating a slogan, IPOB Nigeria created 'Biafra or Death' slogan which has since gone wrong from its inception due to the casualties recorded so far because of the slogan.
Flashback: (How Biafra emerged):
The Republic of Biafra was a secessionist state in eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to January 1970. The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. Other ethnic groups that constituted the republic were the Efik, Ibibio, Annang, Ejagham, Eket, Ibeno and the Ijaw among others.
The primary cause of Nigerian Civil War, was the secession of the Biafran region. The state was formally recognised by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zambia. Other nations which did not give official recognition, but provided support and assistance to Biafra included Israel, France, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Rhodesia, South Africa and the Vatican City.
After the Nigerian Civil War also known as the Biafra war ended, during which over three million Biafran civilians died from starvation caused by the total blockade of the region by the Nigerian government, surprisingly, Biafran soldiers under the motto of "No-victor, No-vanquished" surrendered to the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG) and Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria.
On 26 May the Eastern region voted to secede from Nigeria. On 30 May, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the South Eastern Region's military governor, announced the Republic of Biafra, citing the Easterners killed in the post-coup violence, this reportedly happened after the federal and eastern governments failed to reconcile.
First Slogan: (adopted by Biafrans) - "No-victor, No-vanquished"
Looking at this slogan vividly, even with the backing of the great Odumegwu Ojukwu, Biafrans failed as they later surrendered to the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG) and Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria.
Has History Repeated Itself With 'Biafra or Death' Slogan?
Just when the word 'Biafra' was beginning to attract big names from southwest such as Professor Wole Soyinka and US trained journalist, Kemi Olunloyo among others, Biafrans introduced the slogan 'Biafra Or Death'.
With this slogan, the Snitch Lady as she is fondly called by her fans, opted out of the Biafran campaign, urging the Biafran people to drop the slogan 'Biafra Or Death' due to its risk.
How Biafrans Reacted After Her Advice:
Displeased with Ms. Olunloyo's advice, Biafrans on Social Media networks, (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), gave her a warning to stay clear from the Biafran struggle.
Some accused her of being an opportunist who was in search of a place to gain cheap publicity, alleging that she withdrew her support for Biafra because she could not receive the attention she was looking for.
Lol................. This got me thinking? Kemi Olunloyo looking for 'CHEAP PUBLICITY? In this case it's a big 'NO', Biafrans got it wrong, she only offered her advice which I feel is the best option for the Biafran people if at all the 'Biafra struggle' will be actualized.
Though Madam KOO is controversial but the truth is most of the people that call her names like (SELF-ACCLAIMED JOURNALIST) today, wait anxiously to hear her say a word so they can FEED on it.
Was Kemi Olunloyo Really Looking For Cheap Publicity With Biafra? ( A Peep Into Her Career Says Otherwise)
Kemi Olunloyo has appeared as a journalist/reporter discussing terrorism and health topics on CNN, CBC News, Ruptly, CTV News, BBC, Nigerian Television Authority and Fox News.
In 2010, Omololu-Olunloyo served on the Governors Advisory Council at Kingston General Hospital in Kingston, Ontario. She also worked briefly as a music journalist with the Nigerian Tribune after a five-year stint running her own global music blog HipHossip Canada chosen by BET as their Canada-based hip-hop correspondent for the show The Deal showcasing rising hip-hop stars.
In 2014, she was among the top three nominees of the Social Media Awards Africa's Social Media Influencer of the Year.
How Amnesty International Report Vindicated Kemi Olunloyo:
Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights, released a report on November 24, claiming that extrajudicial execution and torture by the Nigerian Army, led to the death of at least 150 pro-Biafra protesters across Nigeria’s south-east, between August 2015 and August 2016.
The report titled: “Bullets Were Raining Everywhere”: Deadly Repression of Pro-Biafra Activists, relied on the analysis of 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eye witness testimonies that revealed soldiers of the Nigeria military firing live ammunition to disperse protesters, most of them members of the separatist group, Indigenous People of the Biafra (IPOB), without warning.
With this report by AI, it is clear that the Biafran people must accept Kemi Olunloyo's advice by dropping the slogan 'Biafra Or Death', if really Biafran lives matters.
What Next For Biafrans?
Nnamdi Kanu, will today, Thursday, December 1, 2016, appear before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to continue his trial on treasonable felony brought against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In anticipation of the court case, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has appealed to South-East residents to accept the outcome of today’s (Thursday) ruling on bail application by its leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
The group said the appeal became necessary in view of the anticipation that the outcome would likely go against Kanu.
This was contained in a press statement made available to journalists by IPOB’s media director, Comrade Emma Powerful, who called on Ndigbo not to embark on any form of protest.
Now the BIG QUESTION is with the Amnesty Intentional report and Kemi Olunloyo's advice, is it not time for Biafrans to DROP the slogan 'BIAFRA OR DEATH?
Philips Sunday tweets via: @PurityPhils on Twitter.
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