The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has responded to a claim made by self-proclaimed Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa.
Ekpa in a recent video had claimed that Ijaw was part of the Biafran State while speaking about the Okuama attack and subsequent military actions in Ijaw communities.
The IYC national spokesman, Binebai Yerin Princewill, in a statement released on Friday 29th, March, firmly opposed all assertions suggesting that Ijaw territories belong to Biafra.
Princewill stated, “We, the Ijaw people, do not accept any irresponsible remarks insinuating that our territories are part of Biafra. We will not tolerate such misrepresentations.”
“Our historical figure, Major Isaac Adaka Boro, who championed minority rights, established the ‘Niger Delta Republic’ before the Biafra declaration. We, the Ijaw people, stand as Nigerians in the Niger Delta, with no affiliation to the Biafran movement,” he further clarified.
Having acknowledged the Biafran struggle, he expressed that the Ijaws do not share that ideology noting that the Ijaws movement is not inclined towards secession but majorly resource control.
Conclusively, the IYC informed the Nigerian government and military that the mentioned areas are not part of Biafra and that any potential military incursions will not be tolerated in Ijaw territories.
