Bassey Inyang in Calabar
The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, has dissociated the palace and people of Efik kingdom from the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, saying he never sent any emissary to him at any time.
The Obong of Calabar stated this yesterday in reaction to a video clip making the rounds in the social media, showing a man who claimed to be his emissary meeting with the IPOB leader.
A press statement signed and addressed to journalists by the Chairman of the Etuboms’ Traditional Council of the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, HRH Etubom Bassey Okor Bassey Duke, the monarch described the man whose identity they could not establish, as an impersonator, who should be fished-out and arrested immediately by security agencies.
The text read in part: “The attention of the Obong of Calabar-in-Council ha
s been drawn to a video currently making the rounds on social media in which a person is seen claiming to have been sent by the Obong of Calabar to ask Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB to visit him.
“The Obong of Calabar is one of only eight rulers recognised by the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Natural Rulers and Treaty Kings whose kingdoms existed hundreds of years before the amalgamation, and who interacted with, and signed Treaties and Agreements with Sovereign Nations in Africa and Europe.
“The content of this video is therefore a ridiculous insult, and the Obong of Calabar-in-Council dissociates itself completely from everything to do with the person and fake message carried in the video.
“From the poor illegitimate dressing, intonation, accent and comportment, it is clear that the person is a petty impersonator with dubious intentions. While freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution it does not extend to endorsing the propagation of falsehood of making fraudulent claims.
“The Obong of Calabar-in-Council, therefore calls on the security agencies to live up to expectation and immediately arrest and prosecute the impersonator whose face can clearly be seen in the video.â€
The video clip which runs for 2:42 minutes on YouTube entitled, “Biafra: I’m Very Happy We Are Now A Nationâ€, shows Kanu addressing some of his supporters in a room, when a man in dark glasses dressed in traditional attire said he brought greetings from the Obong, who supports the Biafra cause, and would like to see the IPOB leader.
The man was heard saying the Obong, who is the Efik monarch, and the people of Calabar were looking forward to seeing the IPOB leader.
Responding to the man who claimed to be an emissary of the Obong, the IPOB leader was heard saying, “Tell him he was one of the people I was praying for while in prison, and one of the people I would go to. Tell the Obong of Calabar, I will go to see him, that I would be honoured to see him in person. I will come to see him in his Palace. Tell the Obong that. Thank you very much for coming.â€
