"Treat the surrendering Biafrans well or risk their children rising" – Gen. Effiong.
They called him a madman. They started mistreating the Igbo people and lots of Igbo people started denying being Igbo. Remember when Peter denied Jesus? He has seen the torture that was brought upon Jesus and he had no option but to deny his master and flee.
Igbo people carved outside the southeast started denying being Igbo just to survive the marginalization and profiling by the Nigerian government. It reached a time when bearing an Igbo name brings bad luck. People were massively expunging their Igbo name just to escape injustice. Some went as far as taking up Hausa or Yoruba names just to be accepted.
The Nigerian government will construct a railway for Niger Republic and deny ndi Igbo of the same thing. It was so terrible. Policies were made just to cripple the businesses of Igbo men. That was after the abandoned properties and jobs saga. That was after they were denied their monies in Nigerian banks and given 20 pounds.
Today, the children of the surrendering Biafrans have risen. From Biafra land to any other place an Igbo is found, he is shouting and demanding Biafra. What the Nigerian government neglected has matured and given birth to one of the greatest freedom-fighting movements in the world.
Just like Nigeria neglected the harmless advice of Philip Efiong, they are also neglecting the advice from some of us philosophers who are telling them the reality and truth, unlike those under their payroll sugar-coating lies for them.
Nigeria's government should not kill Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whether in prison or outside prison. What will happen should such happens will be unimaginable. Nigeria should not underestimate what the children of the surrendering Biafrans that have risen can do.
Do not neglect this advice as you did to that of Philip Effiong.
Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher, and Activist, 2023.
