Biafran agitators take their campaign to the Vatican and seek Pope Francis's support

HUNDREDS of Biafran agitators have taken their campaign for the creating of an independent state to the Vatican seeking to get the support of Pope Francis in their bid to break away from Nigeria.   Over the last six months, calls for the recreation of the defunct republic of Biafra that existed between July 1967 and January 1970 have been rekindled following the arrest of Radio Biafra director Nnamdi Kanu. Held since October, his incarceration has led to huge protests across southeast Nigeria, with youths there calling for secession.
  Taking their campaign a step further, a group of activists from the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) gathered outside the Vatican last Sunday to make their case. During his weekly Angelus address where the Pope addresses crowds of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square from the balcony of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis extended a word of welcome to the campaigners.   His statement was greeted with cheers and celebration by the Biafran group, who were waving flags during the address. Ipob said it took its agitation for the release of its leader and to Pope Francis so he could see the level of killing and injustice meted to them by the present All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Ipob spokesman Emma Powerful said he made 5,500 calls to Pope Francis who accepted and gave his word to pray for the agitators and talk about Biafra and its restoration. He added that they intend taking their came to other religious leaders worldwide until they achieve the goal of an independent Biafra.   Mr Powerful added: “Ipob bombarded Pope Francis with 5,500 calls and the pope answered the calls and gave his word to make sure he talks about Biafra and its restoration. About 35,000 Biafra agitators in Europe, Asia and America visited the pope at Vatican City where he and other Catholic leaders addressed them as Biafrans and prayed for them.   "That was the first time a world leader at that level addressed us and called us by the name Biafrans and prayed for us. We are therefore calling on other church leaders to condemn the evil of killing innocent protesters and agitators and detention of an innocent man who did not do anything to break the law of a country."   He pointed out that they are not part of Nigeria and are demanding their freedom that has been forcefully taken from them. Mr Powerful stressed that this evil must be condemned by the world and religious leaders, who Ipob wants to pray for them.   "We urge the Christian leaders, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglicans worldwide, World Christian Society and American Christians to pray for Biafran actualisation and freedom. This is the time to stand up for the truth because the Boko Haram members who are killing people on daily basis have not been visited with the type of extra-judicial killings with which this APC government has visited on us,” Mr Powerful added.