The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has called on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to lay down their arms and surrender to the federal government of Nigeria.
The group recalled the historic Biafra surrender to the federal government on January 13, 1970, which marked the end of the Nigerian civil war, urging IPOB to let the repeat of such happen now.
PeacePro, in a statement on Monday by its executive director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, while commemorating the 53rd anniversary of the Biafra surrender to federal government, emphasised the importance of respecting the peace agreement that prioritised reconciliation and national unity.
Hamzat said as a human rights ambassador, IPOB’s armed struggle and violent approach contradict the peaceful resolution embraced by Biafran leaders five decades ago.
PeacePro reminded IPOB that the declaration of “No Victor, No Vanquished” by the federal government laid the foundation for rebuilding and reintegration, urging the group to choose dialogue over conflict.
“The continued pursuit of violence by IPOB dishonours the memory of those who chose peace to stop further bloodshed in the South-east during the Biafra war,” PeacePro stated.
PeacePro also criticised calls for the unconditional release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, without a commitment to peace, describing it as a misguided approach that cannot achieve lasting stability or development,” PeacePro noted.