As angry reactions continue to trail the unjustifiable massacre of scores of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in Onitsha, 26 groups from the South East and South South have condemned the cold-blooded murder, saying there was a need for a referendum in Nigeria to determine the issue of Biafra.

The group which met last Friday in Enugu, capital of Enugu State, expressed their disappointment over the silence of governors from the South East geo-political zone since the May 30, 2016 killing of about 81 youths celebrating the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the defunct Biafra as a Republic.

The tragic incident took place at Nkpor, Anambra state and other parts of the zone and the South South. They resolved to ensure that the perpetrators of the killing were brought to justice. The meeting’s singular agenda was whether or not, the groups should throw their weight behind IPOB in pursuit of a referendum. It was convened by 82-year-old Zikist activist, Chief (Mrs.) Mariah Okwor, who is also the leader of the Igbo Women Assembly.

Present at the meeting were representatives of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Traditional Rulers, Igbo Traders Congress, Ohanaeze Youth Forum, Igbo in Academia, South East Professionals, Niger Delta Youth Forum, Old Eastern Region Movement, World Igbo Congress, Igbo Survival Movement, South East Youth Congress, amongst others.

Bishop Michael Ibeneme of the Lord’s Salvation Gospel Ministry, who chaired the meeting, lamented the deliberate attempt by the Army to blackmail the youths by claiming that the youths turned violent. “It is fabricated lies, the youths were deliberately murdered by the soldiers simply because someone in Abuja does not want to hear the name Biafra. Everybody knows those boys were not armed. If a panel of enquiry is not immediately set up to bring to book those murderous soldiers, then the government will be pushing all of us to join IPOB immediately. This mindless killing is unacceptable,” the man of God declared.

Speaker after speaker condemned, in strong terms, the attempt to silence the truth by military which took away more than half of the corpses of the youths they felled. The groups agreed to consult more widely and enlarge the coalition in other to take a definite decision on whether to publicly canvass support for IPOB in the light of the brutal suppression by the military. The groups agreed to meet onJune 27, 2016in Umuahia to take a final decision.

Convener of the meeting, Okwor, who broke down in tears, bemoaned the cold-blooded slaughter of unarmed youths whose only crime was their desire for freedom from a repressive and mindlessly, oppressive State. “This brutal genocide has clearly redefined the Nigeria reality. It is extremely difficult for any sane person to continue to support or even feel safe in any state where cold blooded murder by the state has become an everyday occurrence,” she said, warning that the massacre would not be swept under the carpet.

Meanwhile, the founder of Igbo Youth Movement and Deputy Secretary of Igbo Leaders of Thought, Evangelist Elliot Uko, has appealed to all aggrieved youth of Eastern region to remain non-violent in their agitation for justice and equity, assuring them that the masses were with them.

Uko, who was addressing Student Union leaders from 44 tertiary institutions from the South East, said the injustice in Nigeria can never be solved by killing unarmed youth and then turn round to falsely accuse them of attacking military men.

“We all know IPOB are not armed and we plead with them not to succumb to pressure and temptation to take up arms. The people are with them, that is the most important thing. I can tell you that over 95 percent of our people are sympathetic to the IPOB and their sacrifices.

•Photo shows pro-Biafra activists during a recent protest march.