The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said it was not responsible for the delay in burying the deceased Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who passed on as senator representing Anambra South Senatorial district of Anambra State in the current 10th National Assembly.
The late oil mogul, chairman and chief executive officer of Capital Oil and Gas had slumped and suddenly died in London about four months ago, precisely on July 27, when he travelled to witness the graduation ceremony of one of his children from a university in that country.
Controversy had trailed the plan to bring back his remains for burial in his Nnewi, Anambra State native home, with rumour making the rounds that members of the Biafra separatist movement, IPOB, have accused the late parliamentarian of having a hand in the arrest and renditioning of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu back to Nigeria from Kenya on 27th June 2021 by Interpol, and, have therefore threatened to unleash violence any day he is brought to Nnewi for burial.
Kanu had been incarcerated in prison where he has been going to court to answer treason charges since then.
However, the IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful in a statement he made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday absolved his organisation from the delay in Ubah’s burial.
The IPOB spokesman even stated that the late Senator Ubah had no hand in the arrest and renditioning of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
He, rather said that his organisation was aware of the people who were responsible for the illegal arrest and renditioning of their IPOB leader, adding that the people are still alive and are still walking the streets, and vowed that the members of his organisation would come after such people at the appropriate time.
Powerful stated that the delay in Senator Ubah’s burial might be connected with the traditions of his Nnewi community.
IPOB spokesman’s statement read: “The Directorate of State (DOS) of the great and noble family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra, and lovers of Biafra freedom that IPOB movement and its leadership are not behind the delay in the burial of late Senator Ifeanyi Uba in his home town Nnewi North of Anambra State.
“Whatever or whoever is responsible for the delay of the burial of late Senator Ifeanyi Uba is not known to IPOB. We have the information of those who bankrolled and sponsored the abduction and renditioning of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria. And we will take an appropriate response at the right time. For now, we are much more concerned with other pressing matters to IPOB.
“It is a known fact that late Senator Ifeanyi Uba stepped on the toes of many Igbo people, particularly his Nnewi people.
“The delay in his burial is not connected with the kidnapping and rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Those who collaborated with the Nigerian government in committing these abominations are still around.
“The Nnewi Traditional Leaders and their custodians are people of rich culture and traditions.
“They know why the burial of the late Senator is being delayed. No one should link what happened to the IPOB leader to the delay in the burial of the late Ifeanyi Ubah. IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu should be left out of this traditional quagmire.
“IPOB respects the oneness and deep tradition among Nnewi people. They know what to do to ensure that peace reigns in Nnewi. IPOB encourages them to do what is culturally permissible to ensure that the remains of their son are not buried outside their ancestral land.
” What is happening to the burial of late Senator Ubah should be a wake-up call to the radicals and the untouchable politicians to remember that one day, Biafrans may reject your corpse and even that of their children.
“They may even be treated like outcasts and possibly banished from Biafra Land. Let he who has ears hear what the spirit is saying”, the statement reads further.
