IPOB advises South-East youths to avoid recruitment by the British army

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged South-East youths to avoid participating in British Army recruitment, labeling it a “deceptive” scheme designed to exploit and abandon them. The group highlighted historical grievances, noting that many African soldiers who fought for Britain during World War I were neither acknowledged nor compensated, unlike their British counterparts.

In a statement released on Saturday, IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful emphasized that Biafrans should resist being recruited to fight for a country that does not value them. He pointed out that during World War I, Africans, including those from Nigeria and other colonies, were used extensively by the British military but were disregarded after the war. This pattern continued into World War II, with many Africans sacrificed to bolster Britain’s superpower status.

Powerful condemned the current recruitment efforts as another attempt by Britain to exploit Africans for its interests. He questioned why Britain maintains strict visa policies for African immigrants while offering easier access to its army. He urged Biafran youths to avoid becoming “sacrificial lambs” for a nation that has historically oppressed and neglected them.

IPOB also called on Biafran parents to advise their children against joining the British military and encouraged youths to support IPOB’s mission to restore Biafra. The group asserted that any genuine commitment from the UK regarding Biafran participation should include support for Biafra’s peaceful and democratic exit from Nigeria and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in detention in Abuja.