TheCable

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has backed out of a pre-scheduled meeting with the south-east governors forum. 

Kanu had met with the governors on August 30 to discuss issues concerning the Biafra agitation.

Both parties had resolved to hold further talks, with their next meeting scheduled to hold on Friday in Enugu.

But in a statement personally signed by him, Kanu alleged that soldiers in the state intend to assassinate him on his way to the meeting.

He also said his group was preoccupied with attending to victims of the “unprovoked military onslaught against innocent civilians” in Abia state.

The statement read: “In view of the concerted effort by the oppressive Nigerian state to shatter the peace and tranquility of the south-east and the rest of Biafraland through military intimidation, it has become necessary for me to clarify why, regrettably, I may not be able to attend Friday’s meeting with the south-east governors as earlier agreed, for three main reasons.

“We are currently busy attending to our dead and injured from this latest round of unprovoked military onslaught against innocent civilians in our own land. All the casualties so far were shot by men of the Nigerian Army deployed to my house and those stationed along motor ways leading into Umuahia my hometown.

“I have been reliably informed also, that a detachment of … soldiers responsible for the murder of innocent unarmed IPOB family members have now been stationed near Enugu to ambush and assassinate me on my way to the meeting with the governors on Friday.”

He also said IPOB would meet on same Friday to decide whether to remain “non-violent or otherwise in their struggle in view of the military clampdown.

“The leadership of IPOB through the instrumentality of the directorate of state (DOS) headquartered in Germany, will be meeting to vote on the viability or otherwise of continuing our struggle in this non-violent manner.

“There is urgent need to begin the process of defending ourselves in the face of relentless murderous attacks from the Nigerian state.”