The Ralph Uwazuruike-led Biafra Independence Movement (BIM) has said that no amount of intimidation or arrest by the Nigerian Army would prevent the group from celebrating this year’s Biafra anniversary on May 22.
The anniversary is usually marked with processions and hoisting of Biafra flag across major cities of the South East.
In a Thursday statement, the group accused the Federal Government of Nigeria of using the Army to round up its members who are then handed over to the Department of State Security (DSS) in Anambra to be allegedly detained in underground cells.
BIM’s Director of Information, Chris Mocha, who signed the statement, further claimed that such detained persons are prevented from contact with the outside world, especially access to lawyers and wives, who can give them food.
In the statement, the group’s founder and leader, Uwazuruike claimed that an army officer attached to the Onitsha military cantonment had revealed to him in a telephone chat that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has issued an order not to allow Biafran flag to be hoisted in any part of Igbo land on May 22 or any other day.