IPOB Asylum: What UK Said About IPOB, MASSOB, ESN, Oyigbo, Nnamdi Kanu

In March 2021, the British Government released on its official Home Office website, a 56 page report in which it shared its thoughts on the Biafran agitation.

The report talked about IPOB, MASSOB, ESN, Nnamdi Kanu, Buhari and his administration. The report also offered Asylum to IPOB and MASSOB members.

Excerpts of the report are below

On IPOB being declared a terrorist group:While MASSOB appears not to be banned, IPOB has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation. However, both groups have generally acted peacefully.

in advocating for an independent ‘Biafra’ and been the victims of state violence. The groups have also used inflammatory rhetoric, including comments in support of violence, and clashed violently with the authorities during demonstrations and protests, resulting in deaths of security force members and damage to property

ESN: In December 2020, IPOB is

reported to have set up the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a militia to counter the rising insecurity in the region. In February 2021, Facebook locked Kanu’s account for violating its rules on harm and hate speech.The security forces have also alleged that IPOB members have on occasion targeted and killed police officers. Reports of casualties vary, but in October.

2020 at least three police officers and six army officers were killed in clashes with IPOB. It is not clear from the sources consulted whether supporters or members who have been arrested have since been prosecuted or convicted for treason or other offences. Nor do sources provide specific information about the length of or treatment of members or supporters of Biafran groups

in detention. In February 2021 the Nigerian military

launched land and air operations against operatives of the ESN, a militia/vigilante group originally set up to protect the south-eastern region, which IPOB claims marked the beginning of the second Nigeria/Biafra war

MASSOB:MASSOB, since its formation in the late 1990s, has clashed with the security forces. Numerous members have been killed, wounded and arrested –usually during demonstrations. Over a hundred arrests were made in September 2018, at least 10 in 2019; and, in July 2020, it was reported that

members of MASSOB were arrested following clashes with police. IPOB grew out of MASSOB between 2012 and 2014 and reportedly has a presence outside of Nigeria, including the UK. There are also reported to be a number of minor Biafran groups but these do not seem to have a significant presence in the country. In recent years, MASSOB has become divided, splitting into several smaller groups and is less active than IPOB. Both MASSOB and IPOB have largely advocated for peaceful change but on occasions have used rhetoric that may encourage violent resistance. IPOB in particular, through its online platform, Radio Biafra, and online comments of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has stoked secessionist aspirations and encouraged resistance to the authorities.

Oyigbo(Obigbo):Further clashes and violence occurred between security forces and

IPOB in August 2020 in the city of Enugu when police stormed an IPOB meeting and also in October 2020 during confrontations in Rivers State. These incidents resulted in the arrests and deaths of IPOB supporters as well security force personnel, although there seem to be contradictory reporting on the exact figures. In November 2020 there were reports that security forces were carrying out revenge killings following the October attacks in the Rivers State area of Oyigbo, these reports were denied by state Governor Nyesom Wike. Following an attack by IPOB members in Rivers State in October 2020, the governor offered a reward for information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the IPOB state leader Stanley Mgbere. CPIT could find no further information in the sources consulted that Mr Mgbere had been located and arrested

Nnamdi Kanu:The IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu reportedly resides in the UK. He is the director of London-based Radio Biafra, an online radio station set up to broadcast the demands of secessionists. Programmes are transmitted daily in English and Igbo. He had been recruited by MASSOB leader Uwazuruike to run

Radio Biafra in London. The pair fell out and Kanu later re-emerged as IPOB leader. BBC monitoring also stated:‘The leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu says he is ready to face trials and defend Biafrans at the International Criminal Court

(ICC), against “genocidal” attacks by “killer herdsmen and bandits”. Speaking on a live broadcast on Radio Biafra, he says: “Herdsmen will attack us, rape our women, destroy our farms and kill our farmers nobody

will arrest them but when we try to defend ourselves, the government will come after us rolling out the tanks and using their helicopter gunboats. If defending our ancestral land against conquest by Fulani supporter of APC invaders will take me to The Hague, I am ready to go to The Hague. Another major clash between the armed forces and the pro-Biafra activists occurred in October 2015 when the IPOB-leader Kanu was arrested on charges of treason and ethnic incitement. A wave of street protests and arrests followed. Kanu was released on 25 April 2017. However, on 22 September 2017, soldiers attacked the house where Kanu was staying and killed 28 people in the surroundings. The government denied the claim.

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Identical Twins Who Were Separated At Birth Find Each Other, Reunite After 36 Years (Photos)

Korean identical twins, who have been identified as Molly Sinert and Emily Bushnell, met for the first time in Florida on their 36th birthday after being separated at birth, according to Yahoo News.

Molly Sinert and Emily Bushnell embraced each other for the first time at Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale on March 29, according to Good Morning America.

The twins were born in South Korea in 1985 and adopted by different Jewish American families. Sinert grew up in Florida while Bushnell grew up in Philadelphia.

Bushnell is a single mother of one. Her daughter, Isabel, asked her to take a DNA test to learn more about her biological family.

“I wanted to find out if I had more family on her side,” Isabel said.

Since Bushnell was not comfortable with taking the test, she let her 11-year-old take it instead.

Coincidentally, Sinert also took a retail genetic testing kit to look into her health history, ABC6 reported.

When Sinert looked deeper into her results, she was confused by a supposed match for a daughter.

“You share 49.96% DNA with this person. We predict that she’s your daughter,” Sinert recalled. “This is obviously not right, because I’ve never gone into labor, I don’t have children.”

After contacting Isabel about the results, Sinert finally got in touch with her long-lost twin. The sisters shared text messages and photos, finding out they lived almost mirrored lives with their “twin moments.”

“Our senior prom picture … we were both wearing a beaded dress with a strapless style and our hair was exactly the same,” Bushnell said.

Instead of video calling to see each other’s faces for the first time, the sisters decided to meet each other in person on their 36th birthday.

Both women were instantly emotional once they finally met.

“Is this real?” one sister asked.

“It’s real, it’s real,” the other said.

Both agreed it was like looking in a mirror as they shared similar gestures and reactions.

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” Bushnell said. “I can honestly say that. I was robbed of the last 36 years of a life that I could have had with my twin. But at the same time, I’m very grateful and excited for what lies ahead.”

The sisters shared a sweet moment filled with birthday cake and a gift exchange. Bushnell’s daughter and Sinert’s husband participated in the celebration.

“A hole was immediately filled in my heart,” Bushnell said. “Although I have family who loves me and adores me and have been absolutely wonderful, there was always a feeling of disconnection. Finding out that I had an identical twin sister just made everything so clear. It all makes sense.”

The sisters plan to travel together to South Korea in the future. It is unclear to them why they were separated at birth.

Now that they have been reunited, they are ready to start a new life, this time with each other in it.

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