Allow Biafrans to conduct Referendum for Exit -Arewa Youth

The Coalition of Northern Youths have written a
letter to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo,
begging him to allow Ndigbo to conduct a
referendum to decide if they want to remain in
Nigeria or have their own country (Biafra
Republic).
In the letter signed by Ambassador Shettima
Yerima, Joshua Viashman, Aminu Adam, Abdul-
Azeez Suleiman and Nastura Ashir Sharif, the
Northern group argued that the principle of self-
determination has since world war II become a
part of the United Nations Charter, which states
in Article 1(2) that one of the purposes of the
UN is “to develop friendly relations among
nations based on respect for the principle of
equal rights and self-determination of peoples”.
They said: “Though we do not doubt Your
Excellency’s bona fide concerns for the
peaceful resolution of the crises, we
nevertheless have reservations as to the
efficacy of this approach in ensuring lasting
solutions.
“Our doubts are informed by the following
historical antecedents that have characterized
the behavior and conduct of the Igbo in Nigeria
and previous efforts at containing them.
“The Igbo of Eastern Nigeria manifested their
hatred for Nigeria’s unity barely five years after
we gained our independence from the British
when on January 15, 1966, their army officers
carried out the first-ever mutiny that marked
the beginning of a series of crisis which has
profoundly altered the course of Nigeria’s
history.
“By that ill motivated cowardly and deliberate
action, the Igbo killed many northern officers
from the rank of lieutenant colonel upwards and
also decapitated the Prime Minister and the
political leadership of the Northern and Western
regions but left the zenith of Igbo leadership at
the Federal level and the Eastern region intact.
“In line with the Igbo plan, General Aguiyi-Ironsi
took advantage of the vacuum and, instead of
returning power to the remnants of the First
Republic government, he appropriated the coup
and attempted to consolidate it for his people.
“Army officers of the Northern Region were
eventually compelled to execute a counter coup
on July 29, 1966 following a coordinated series
of brazen provocations from the Igbo who
taunting northerners on northern streets by
mocking the way leaders of the region were
slain by the Igbo. This unfortunately resulted in
mob action which resulted in the death of many
Igbos.