The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has denied that it is carrying out criminal activities in order to demand amnesty in future, saying its demands are that it be allowed to secede from Nigeria.
The secessionist movement said it is open to dialogue with the Federal Government where the group will make official its plan to secede.
The movement added that while it was not its desire to see Nigeria break up, the collapse of the country was inevitable.
This was made known by its Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, in an interview on Friday, where he stated whether or not the region’s request for secession was granted, the current situation in the country could make a break-up possible.
He said, “MASSOB is not asking for any form of amnesty from the Federal Government because we don’t see what we are doing as a criminal act. We are not expecting such from government; we are not even demanding such.
“We don’t need amnesty but there is room for dialogue; we can allow dialogue with the government. So that we can make known what our demands are.”
When asked what MASSOB’s major demand was, Madu said the South-East region would prefer to secede from the country.
“We have only one demand. We want to secede; we want to stay on our own. We know that the Federal Government is not comfortable with our demand but at the end of the day, they must abide by it because the things that are happening now are a signal that the nation is collapsing. It is proving that, certainly, Biafra must be.
“Currently, the way Nigeria is, shows that it is heading for explosion. Nigeria is sleeping on a timebomb that will explode. Every aspect of Nigeria signals collapse,” he said.
However, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndi’gbo, denied speculations that it had conflicts of ideology and interest with MASSOB. The body noted that it had deliberately distanced itself from political issues.
The National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze, Mr. Tony Oganah, described MASSOB as a non-violent organisation that had not killed anybody or thrown bombs.
He said, “If Nigeria is in the mood to pardon Boko Haram members, then it should be able to pardon them (MASSOB). I don’t see any reason why President Goodluck Jonathan, who needs the support of Ndigbo, will not.
“Naturally, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If you’re pardoning some arsonists, rapists and kidnappers, then you should pardon MASSOB members who have not committed any crime. They are only interested in self-determination.”