Ripples Nigeria
By Victor Uzoho
A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo has described the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu as an empty head, who does not understand the concept of Biafra, which he is fighting for.
Dokubo explained that the tribe known as Ijaw is Biafra, noting that the members of the tribe are the real owners of Biafra.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television monitored by Ripples Nigeria on Wednesday, the former militant explained that Biafra is an Ijaw name, which has nothing to do with the Igbos.
He said, “Nnamdi Kanu is a person who is empty in his head. Nnamdi Kanu wants an Igbo Biafra. Taking our name to hang to himself, it doesn’t belong to him. Instead of calling for all, he wants an Igbo Biafra.
“He comes around and he says Biafra is a Jewish state, I am not a Jew and I will never be a Jew. My ancestors are superior to Jews. It is only a tyrannical God that will create people and choose one people over and above others.”
He noted that he has no business with IPOB, adding that there is a distinction between IPOB and Biafra.
Furthermore, he revealed that the term ‘Biafra’ was coined by an Ijaw man and was originally proposed by the Ijaws and not the Igbos, and criticised Kanu wanting to create an ‘Igbo Biafra’.
“Ijaw is Biafra. Ijaws are divided between the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. We are the owners of Biafra. Biafra is an Ijaw name, we own it. The territory identified as Biafra is Ijaw. Maybe, a little Ibibios towards the end and Oron people.
“The real Biafra, the name Biafra, the geographical location Biafra is Ijaw and a little Oron and a little bit Ibibio.
“In 1967, the eastern Ijaws were part of the Eastern region. An Eastern consultative assembly was convoked in Enugu and Francis, an Ijaw man who gave the name ‘Biafra’, Francis Opigo, moved the motion that Biafra should be adopted and Biafra was adopted on the 30th of May 1967, the Republic of Biafra was declared which included the eastern Ijaw within our territory.
“So, Biafra has nothing to do with Igbos. The Biafran state that was declared in 1967 was not an Igbo state,” he added.
This news originally appeared in Ripples Nigeria.
