The Indigenous People of Biafra has advised the ‘Biafra women’ to ignore the order by its United States-based legal adviser, Mr Bruce Fein, calling for protest in Abuja. The advise followed the opinion of Mr Fein asking the IPOB women to embark on a street protest in Abuja. In a statement through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Friday, the group disassociated itself from the order, which it called “unnecessary risk.” Powerful stated that Fein overstepped his bounds as the IPOB legal adviser in issuing such directive which would only expose the women to avoidable dangers and harm. He said, “Following the opinion of a USA-based IPOB legal adviser, Bruce Fein, asking the IPOB women to embark on a street protest in Abuja, we wish to completely disassociate from such opinion and instruct Biafran women to please ignore such opinion and avoid the unnecessary risk. “In the US, protests are part and a common feature of democracy and protesters enjoy protection from security agencies. But maybe unknown to him, in Nigeria, protesters are termed terrorists and shot on sight. To protest in Nigeria, particularly under the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari, is a suicide mission. “The IPOB will not advise Biafra women to hit the streets for any protest now because their safety is not guaranteed. We have lost a lot of innocent souls in the past protests and the international community watched without any intervention.” The group also stated that it had a well-equipped, perfectly organised, functional and rapid response leadership office through which such directive would be delivered other than through Sahara Reporters as claimed in their publication. It said it had done a lot of protests in the past and where innocent supporters were killed in cold blood by security agencies, insisting that it did not want a repeat of that. The statement read in part, “Therefore, we won’t allow more people to be sent to their untimely grave by wicked security operatives in Nigeria who run away from terrorists and Fulani bandits in the North but shamelessly show their might when it has to do with unarmed agitators of self-determination in the South. “Bruce Fein is our legal adviser and not the IPOB spokesperson. He does not quite understand that the version of democracy operational in Nigeria is different from the real democracy being practised in the US where he resides. “We understand the concern of Mr Bruce Fein, but we advise him to restrict himself strictly to providing legal services to our movement, and refrain from dishing out unapproved directives to Biafrans. “We, therefore, urge all Biafrans to please ignore such directive from Bruce Fein, and any other of such directives not emanating from the IPOB spokesman and communicated through our proper channels of information dissemination. “Directives for he IPOB women and Biafrans to embark on outdoor activities which include protest go through certain processes before such an exercise is implemented because we understand this part of the world better. “The IPOB is not a movement where anybody will wake up and start issuing directives. We are embedded on a very firm ideological based foundation and rooted in an unshakeable structure. Everyone knows that Bruce Fein is IPOB’s international legal adviser and not a decision making officer. “It would be of our collective best interest if Bruce Fein will concentrate on his job and desist from meddling into Biafraland related matters and areas outside the purview of his brief. “He is aware that we have some of the best lawyers here in Biafraland but they never issue orders or directives to the IPOB but proffer only legal advice when necessary. Bruce Fein is advised to stay off the IPOB administrative matters and concentrate on his legal representation.”

  The Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has condemned the assault on Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere (Odumeje) by a member of the task force during the demolition of his Church on Thursday.   JOURNALIST101 had reported that Odumeje was physically assaulted by the task force when he protested the demolition of his church, Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministries.   In a statement personally signed by Governor Soludo, he said the action of the task force member is “imperfect and unprofessional,” adding that he has instructed that the erring officer be handled in “accordance with the rules of public conduct which he roundly failed to uphold.”   Soludo while soliciting for the support of Ndi Anambra “in the fight to restore the dignity of Onitsha, and indeed the totality of our Homeland,” said that such unprofessional conduct “would never happen again.”   The statement reads:     Let me sincerely appreciate ndị Anambra for understanding with us as we take audacious steps towards making our Homeland Liveable and Prosperous. On this journey, imperfect steps will be taken, emotions will run wild and opinions will grow thick.   What is pertinent to note is that we shall remain undaunted, correct our imperfections, strive to put our emotions in check and aggregate opinions that are in the interest of our overall good.   Yesterday’s outing has evoked emotions, not against the decision of government, but the imperfect and unprofessional manner with which one of the task force members discharged his lawful duty. This is highly regretted, and would never happen again. I have instructed that the task force personnel involved in the manhandling of Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere (Odumeje) be treated in accordance with the rules of public conduct which he roundly failed to uphold.   We will continue to work to actualize the mandate you have given to us. Nothing short of the best outcomes is guaranteed. On behalf of the government and good people of Anambra State, I condemn the assault, and further ask for your continued support in the fight to restore the dignity of Onitsha, and indeed the totality of our Homeland.

  Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, has said the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, must be sacked with immediate effect over his failure to put an end to the incessant attacks on prisons in the country. HURIWA’s position was contained in a statement on Thursday signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, where it condemned the jailbreaks under Aregbesola’s watch. The group stated that, in the last five years, there have been over 15 jailbreaks under the former Osun State governor while over 3,000 inmates have escaped from custody. The PUNCH had reported that terrorists attacked the Kuje Correctional Centre on Tuesday night, heavily armed with explosives, which led to the loss of lives. During the attack, the terrorists reportedly freed over 600 inmates, including 64 suspected Boko Haram members who were held in custody. HURIWA also urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to quit asking rhetorical questions on how the intelligence system of the country failed to detect Tuesday’s attack at Kuje prison in Abuja on social media. The group demanded the President immediately set up a judicial panel of inquiry on prison attacks in the country and ensure that such assaults on the entire security apparatus of Nigeria do not recur. The statement reads in part, “The spate of jailbreaks under President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, is alarming and condemnable. Even under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, who had no military experience or background, jailbreaks weren’t as rampant as what Nigerians see these days. “The frequent and recurring jailbreaks show the inefficiency of all those President Buhari appointed into office and his unwillingness to sack them show also that the President tacitly want the situation to continue to fester. “HURIWA demands the sacking of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; and his Defence counterpart, Bashir Magashi; for perpetual incompetence. We also call for a broad-based judicial panel of inquiry on prison breaks in Nigeria to be constituted.”