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Kanu: the irrepressible Biafran leader
By Tim Tochukwu
For Biafra Choice Writers

It is now most obvious that the acronym MEND means nothing else than Movement for the Enslavement of Niger Delta. If not, why would its leaders yield themselves to be used as tools in destroying the legitimate aspirations of their people, which is freedom?
Bombing of innocent women and children all over Biafraland have been upped since MEND came out with its lies that it was negotiating with Nigerian government on behalf of both Nnamdi Kanu and the group he leads, which is Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the two truest freedom fighters, fighting for the freedom of their people.
From the creeks of Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states, Nigerian military has been bombing towns and villages with napalm bomb, killing everyone in sight and scotching the landscapes. On the streets of Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Agbor, Warri and a host of others, Nigerian soldiers and Police pick up people they do not like their faces, or people that have Biafran artifacts and Radio Biafra Apps on their phones, taking them to their camps or hidden destinations, and killing them there.
The also go from house to house, arresting people that have Biafra flags or artifacts in their homes, or those with satellite equipment that receive transmissions from Radio Biafra and Biafra Television, taking them to unknown destinations to kill. They do not only kill the Biafrans, they will also pure acid on their body to render them unrecognizable, then burying them in mass graves.
In spite of all these, the people have refused to be intimidated; they have remained obstinate on their quest for freedom from Nigeria, a country that exists illegally having expired since two years ago. Biafrans have supported the freedom fighters and damned Nigeria and its wicked ruler Muhammadu Buhari. IPOB and NDA have been growing in popularity amongst the people, both locally and internationally, for staying the course of freedom.
The Okah boys – Henry and Charles Okah – must by now be ruing their naivety of handing over the reins of MEND to Muhammadu Buhari and his State Security Services (SSS) to be used against their own people. Henry is in prison in South Africa; while Charles is being held at Kuje prison in Abuja, Nigerian capital. The duo were the masterminds of MEND that saw to bank robberies, kidnapping of oil workers for ransom, as well as oil bunkering business, but who claimed to be fighting for the freedom of Niger Delta people.
Okah: Selling out his people for his selfish position
Then they were exposed for the phonies they were after they were caught and detained. They became desperate for their freedom that they were ready to do anything just to regain their freedom. Part of what they have been doing, out of their desperation, have been to lie about anything and against anybody.
We know right now that the franchise which communicates with Nigerian media as MEND is in the hand of DSS and not in the hand of Henry Orkah or his kid brother, Charles; or anything of their acolytes. It is Nigerian Directorate of State Security (DSS) that has obtained the reins of MEND and is using it concocts lies about the Biafran struggle.

The only message to the Okah brothers at this moment is that they should repent of their sins and MEND their ways. Failing to do so, nemesis catches up with them and it will be disastrous.
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Nigerian former captain and goalkeeper Peter Rufai (R) sits with former international football players during the funeral ceremony of late Nigerian football legend Stephen Keshi at the Evangelist Catholic Church of St John, in Illah, Delta State, on July 29, 2016.
Former Nigerian international and coach Stephen Keshi died from a heart attack at the age of 54 on June 2016. Keshi, also a former skipper of Nigeria, won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player in 1994 and coach in 2013.


Nigeria legend Keshi buried devoid of promised fanfare Former Nigeria skipper and coach Stephen Keshi has been laid to rest in his village of Ilah, southern Nigeria, Friday afternoon, but without the fanfare promised by the country’s government. Keshi, 54, died on June 8 in Benin City.

However, it was not the state funeral that the Nigerian government first promised with oil-rich Delta State and Keshi’s family organising his final passage beginning with a number of events on Thursday. Nigerian sports minister Solomon Dalung said the government chose a low-key funeral because Keshi left behind a family that has to be catered for. “I am not shocked by the way the government has treated this event,” said a disappointed ex-Nigeria captain and teammate of Keshi, Austin Eguavoen.

“For instance, most of us have yet to get the houses the government promised us when we won the Nations Cup in 1994. “You are only energised when you have been looked after. “You now wonder if Nigeria is worth fighting for or even dying for.” Keshi’s son Femi blasted the government for failing to honour a promise of a state funeral for his father. “The federal government did not deliver on the promises they made to us as regards our father’s burial,” he said.

Keshi made history in 2013, when he became only the second man after Mahmoud El Gohary of Egypt to win the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach. ‘Big Boss’ will also be remembered as the man who spared off the exodus of Nigerian players to Belgium in the mid-80s when he signed for Anderlecht.

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Liverpool have a good chance of making the Europa League last 16 following a goalless draw in the first leg of their tie with Augsburg.
The Reds had marginally the better of a largely dour game in Germany.
Daniel Sturridge had a deflected shot saved and fluffed an effort from six yards out from James Milner's cross.
Former Sunderland player Ji Dong-won came close to giving Augsburg an advantage for next Thursday's second leg with a shot that hit the post.

Disciplined but uninspiring


Barring deflected shots from Sturridge and Roberto Firmino, both of which were saved by home goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, and an injury to Augsburg top-scorer Raul Bobadilla, there was little to report about a forgettable first half.
It was more entertaining after the break as the visitors came out with greater intent and would have led but for Sturridge's early miss from close range.
Hitz also had to be alert to prevent a deflection off home defender Paul Verhaegh finding the net following a Liverpool free-kick.
However, Augsburg, who reached the German top flight for the first time in 2011 but are in relegation trouble this season, could and probably should have won the game in the final 15 minutes.
Stafylidis found space in the box but poked wide of the far post before Ji's well-struck effort hit the outside of the upright and went wide.

Klopp's low-key return to Germany


The match was Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp's first in his native Germany since taking over at Anfield in October.
Prior to that, he spent seven years as Borussia Dortmund boss, leading them to two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League final in 2012-13.
His ambition this season is to reach Europe's premier club competition and with the Reds currently nine points off the Premier League's top four, winning the Europa League is probably his best chance of achieving this aim.
And the biggest positive he can take from this game is that his team retain a serious interest in this competition in a month that also sees them face Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Klopp is 'not a patient man'

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: "We should be realistic about the result, that's OK in a European away game. We could have scored goals but as a performance I am not satisfied.
"We fight for consistency and played like this in the game, but we always let them come back in the game and that's not necessary. I'm not 100% happy about this game.
"My problem is that, with our quality, we should have had more. I have to be patient, but I'm not a patient man, not really. My feeling is we could have done better."

What next?

Liverpool are out of the FA Cup and so do not play this weekend. The return leg with Augsburg at Anfield is their next game on Thursday, 25 February, followed by the League Cup final three days later.

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Manchester United produced another underwhelming display as they lost to Danish side FC Midtjylland in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie.
United were without a number of injured players, including Wayne Rooney, and lost David de Gea in the warm-up.
They took the lead through Memphis Depay's shot but Sergio Romero, who stepped in for De Gea, was unable to prevent Pione Sisto equalising.
United's Jesse Lingard hit the bar before Paul Onuachu struck the winner.
After losing to Sunderland 2-1 on Saturday, the Red Devils are six points shy of the top four in the Premier League, leaving qualification for next season's Champions League very much in the balance.
Winning the Europa League could represent their best chance of reclaiming a place in Europe's elite club competition, but if they are to do that they will have to be much better than they were against opponents who had not played for 71 days because of the Danish winter break.
That includes in the second leg of this tie, which is at Old Trafford in a week's time.
Midtjylland were only formed in 1999, the year United won their famous Treble, but what they lack in history they made up for with application and ability.
With 13 first-team players out and facing a side whose analytical tactical approach makes them a serious threat from set-pieces, United suffered a major setback when goalkeeper De Gea injured himself in the warm-up.
That meant a first United start in four months for Romero, but the Argentine proved an able replacement with three good saves.
One was a block to deny Vaclav Kadlec, who ran through unchallenged, just 56 seconds before United broke the deadlock through Depay's close-range finish from Lingard's cross.
Romero also produced a superb one-handed diving stop to keep out a powerful goalbound header from Onuachu in the second half.
Between those two saves, he could not stop Sisto pulling the hosts level with a shot that found the net via the shin of Chris Smalling.
Romero was equally powerless to keep out Onuachu's winner - a low drive after the substitute beat Juan Mata on the edge of the box.
A knee injury means United face a six-week insight into life without captain Rooney - an absence that could become permanent if reports of a move to China prove correct.
United have refused to comment on speculation about the striker's future, but his absence allowed Depay to make his first start since Boxing Day and gave Anthony Martial the chance to start up front.
Depay, the top scorer in the Dutch league last season prior to his £31m move to Old Trafford, had scored once in his previous 20 United appearances.
And while his display in Denmark was not a notable improvement on past performances in a United shirt he was able to add a goal to his modest tally of goals for the season, which now stands at six.
But the Dutchman, like the rest of the United team, offered little in the second half as the home side came back to win.
Martial, who has operated primarily on the left since joining the club for £36m in September, was largely anonymous in his central role.
Lingard struck the bar with a volley while the score was 1-1, but United rarely threatened as the clock ticked down.

What next?

United travel to Shrewsbury for an FA Cup fifth-round tie next Monday, followed three days later by the return leg against Midtjylland at Old Trafford.

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