Biafrans Protest at the British Embassy in Washington DC

Biafrans Protest at the British Embassy in Washington DC

Washington, D.C. January 19, 2016: In a show of solidarity with the massive demonstrations for freedom taking place in Nigeria and across the globe, a Coalition of pro-Biafra and pro-referendum organizations recently staged a peaceful demonstration at the British embassy in Washington, D.C.

Members of the Coalition which includes Igbo Zara Igbo, the Lower Niger Congress, and the BJS Foundation, marched in front of the British Embassy carrying placards that read: "Britain Stop Supporting Genocide Against Biafrans;" "Nigeria: No to Boko Haram No to Islamic Rule Support Biafra Self-Determination;" "Britain: Referendum in Scotland Referendum in Biafra;" " Mohammed Buhari Stop Killing Unarmed Igbo Youth. No to Islam."

The demonstrators also sang Igbo-Biafra nationalist songs, such as: "We are Biafrans Marching for Our Freedom. In the name of Jesus We shall Conquer," and "We are Biafrans Marching for Our Christian Faith."

Biafrans Protest at the British Embassy in Washington DC

Many drivers in passing vehicles on reading the words of the placards often blew their horns in support and solidarity for the Igbo-Biafra cause. And even some passersby spoke with the marchers and were effusive in their support of freedom for the Biafrans.

After several hours of marching and singing, the demonstration ended with the handover of a protest letter to Mr. David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, through British Embassy officials. In the letter, delivered through its spokesman Rev. Dr. Fr. Aham Nnorom, the pro-Biafra groups asked the British government to: Urge General Mohammed Buhari to free the Christian leader Prince Joshua Nnamdi Kanu who is still imprisoned after two Nigerian courts have ruled that he be freed; Urge Buhari to stop shooting and killing peaceful and unarmed Biafra youth; Urge Buhari to stop the Islamization of Biafraland; and Urge Buhari to allow the conduct of a referendum in Biafraland just as the British government recently allowed it in Scotland in order to determine whether Biafrans still want to be part of Nigeria or to have their own country.

It should be recalled that Nigeria is an artificial creation of the British about one hundred years ago. According to some constitutional scholars, the forced amalgamation by the British of its various nations ended on December 31, 2013. But unfortunately, since the violent creation of this ethnically, religiously, culturally, linguistically and politically, incompatible "humpty dumpty" of a country, various British governments, for purely selfish economic reasons, have historically supported the Muslim Hausa-Fulani in their violent and total control of the country, and in their zeal to impose Islamic sharia law on the majority Christian and non-Muslim inhabitants of the country. Boko haram is a product of sharia.

- Prof. Edward Oparaoji