A group in the south-south state of Akwa Ibom has joined other segments of the country, demanding to break away from Nigeria and create an independent state, to be known as Ibom Peoples Republic.
Akwa Ibom Leaders May22 Coalition took a march to the premises of the United Nations in New York, the United States, petitioning the world organisation for self-actualisation to leave Africa’s most populous nation.
According to a video below a member of the Ibom freedom organisation, Offiong Offiong, said the group wants to secede from Nigeria because Akwa Ibom wasn’t treated fairly.
Details of how the planned secession would materialise were not given, but it appears the freedom fighters will be taking a softer approach, in contrast to the hawkish stance of other secessionist groups.
“I am here today to present the communiqué that was issued after our meeting on June 5, 2021,” Offiong said. “Unfortunately, because of the back and forth of the lockdown and reopening of the UN secretariat, where the commission is based, we only ended up leaving our documents with the officers.”
He went on: “But we are happy today that we were able to come. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 restrictions had not allowed us to present the documents to all the offices.
“We are asking for Ibom Republic. The Ibom Republic will be an attempt for us to demonstrate our emancipation as an indigenous group from the Nigerian state.
“We want a referendum and we want a decision made. We want our people to go on their own based on the way they have been treated by the Nigerian state.
“It is an exciting day for the Ibom Republic. Those documents have been submitted and we will continue to follow up.”